Blank Eyes
by JacksDirtySecret
Summary: Violet is learning to be human from a couple of zombies, her adopted daughter and new boyfriend. want to hear her story? then read it silly!
1. Chapter 1

Blank eyes

**Hi guys, this is my first fanfic and I'm not sure how good it is. I did my best and I figured changing the point of view would add a little more depth. I'd appreciate reviews. Thanks so much.**

CHAPTER ONE

In this world, this new and terrifying place, Violet found peace. There was none of the moral guidelines or rules that had stifled her before. Chaos reigned, and Violet was in her element. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't insane or bloodthirsty. She was a clinical psychopath, diagnosed at age thirteen. Unfeeling, selfish and angry. So a world full of infected, mindless creatures with an insatiable longing for flesh was Violets' dream come true.

She was incredibly intelligent. Violet quickly learned all about the special infected, what their triggers were, and how to avoid them. Not that she went out of her way to avoid them. Violet always appreciated a good challenge, and these instinctual beasts were the ultimate game of Russian roulette. She was particularly fond of the witch. So much like her, so manipulative and so, so deadly. They baited in survivors with their plaintive wails, drawing them in close before slaughtering them mercilessly. Violet would often smirk to herself as she made these comparisons. While she had never murdered anyone, in the pre infection days Violet made a living by relieving men of their money in various manipulative ways.

She was beautiful, a lovely little narcissist. Long auburn hair, emerald eyes and an adorably petite figure added to this twenty three year olds dangerous appeal. She looked fragile, innocent and vulnerable. She was none of these. With a veteran for a father and a streetwise mother, Violet knew how to fight, and how to handle a gun. She was the perfect picture of upper class. Well, she had been. Up until the day she met Vincent.

Vincent wasn't his real name. Violet had no idea what his real name was, nor did she care. Hunters didn't speak so she hadn't bothered to ask. At first, she thought he was just doing a very bad job of tracking her and would soon make a move to attack. He didn't. Instead, he followed her. After the first week, he didn't even bother to conceal himself. He just followed, and watched. He did nothing to hinder her progress nor did he assist her when she was attacked by his Common brethren. He just observed her and grew accustomed to her odd ways. His indifference was met with hers and they coexisted in an unusual way.

He was aware she would leave partial cans of food out for the other Hunters to find. He was also aware she used these cans as bait and slaughtered his brothers quickly and quietly. He never approached the cans. He sensed their familiarity would mean nothing if he fell victim to her ruse. When killing his brethren Violet had a certain look on her face, an odd gleam in her eyes. This gave Vincent the distinct impression that when this small human had that look about her, she was more deadly than even The Weeping One.

Violet watched Vincent observe her again. His face was always hidden by a hood so she could never read his face to see what he was thinking but she imagined it wasn't much. These beasts were stupid. She had always thought she was better than everyone else and she heartily believed that people hadn't changed much post infection. She saw little difference between the common infected and the mindless drones that paced the city streets before the infection had taken hold.

Despite her best efforts to avoid them, Violet occasionally came across others who were uninfected. She had nothing to offer them but disdain and indifference. No she didn't want to join up with them and no she didn't have any supplies to spare. Violet had never needed anyone and nothing had changed is the post-apocalyptic hell she called home.

Violet came across a very ragged and very tired group of survivors eight weeks after the infection hit. They were all early twenties and she knew just by looking at them they wouldn't be alive very much longer. They looked jumpy and squeamish. And the pregnant girl was prone to hysterics, which Violet absolutely detested.

The first time she threw one of her fits Violet was alarmed into thinking she had gone into labor, which she looked ready to do at any given moment. But apparently she just was upset. So Violet quickly and coldly reminded her that if she didn't shut up zombies would be munching on her and her fetus. The girl stared at her in disgust and horror, but went silent. Violet sent them on their way and watched them go with a sense of satisfaction.

For the first time in weeks Vincent disappeared. She wasn't concerned. Just aware that he was missing. She was curious where he had gone to. Perhaps Hunters grouped together like a pack of wolves. Taking out an entire pack would be an amazing challenge and Violet mused to herself that maybe she should be observing her shadow as thoroughly as he observes her.

It took six days for him to return. By the way he was moving it looked as if he had been injured in his absence. He was walking upright, just hunched over. One of his arms appeared immobile and she wondered what had happened to him. She laughed at herself when she realized she was taking more interest in this beast than she had ever taken in a functioning human being. Growing soft was not acceptable. She mentally commanded herself to snap out of it. This was NOT the place to lose face.

Vincent had no idea what he was doing. This was so wrong and every fiber in him screamed in opposition. Yet here he was, hunched over moving awkwardly on two feet desperately trying to return to the human he loved to observe. Food was food but instinct was deceiving him into believing food wasn't food. When he found her he could have purred with delight. His burden would be relieved soon and he could go back to hunting. He needed food. Real food that didn't reek of filth and bring up foggy images that hurt his head.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Violet watched in amazement as Vincent slowly approached her. She readied her sledgehammer and eyed him warily. He seemed just as cautious as he inched towards her making nervous growls in the back of his throat. He unceremoniously dropped a bundle at her feet and bounded away quickly, shrieking loudly.

She looked at the retreating hunter amused and bewildered. What was that stupid creature doing? She looked interestedly at the bundle he dropped and to her horror realized it was moving. She resisted the urge to smash whatever unholy thing must be writhing around in the blankets and lifted up the flaps to see what she faced.

Instead of a deadly enemy prepared to feast on her flesh, Violets eyes rested on something much more terrifying. Wrapped in these bloodied tattered blankets was a baby. A smelly, grimy looking baby that couldn't be more than a week or two old. Violet instantly backed away and looked around for Vincent. He needed to come get this thing. Perhaps he offered it to her thinking she needed a snack. She didn't care she just wanted it gone.

Vincent watched from the roof of a nearby building. His human was an odd one. She showed a lot less interest in that thing he gave her than the female he had found near it. That female was nearly dead when he found her, abandoned by her companions as one of the Spitting Sisters had trapped her with her burning liquid. Yet as he approached she showed fierceness he was unaccustomed to when dealing with injured prey. She fought to crawl away from him clutching this little thing protectively. She screamed at him but words were lost on him. He didn't care or know what she was saying.

He sensed the little thing was important. When he pounced at it she threw herself on top of it, screaming more meaningless words. He watched her struggle as far as she could and he smelled when the life left her body. He could smell the thing. The thing was food but wasn't food. His human would know what to do. So he brought the thing to the small human, fighting the pain in his stomach that told him to hunt.

Violet returned to her sanctuary, leaving the baby outside. She hoped Vincent would come retrieve it but there was no sign of him. The child hadn't cried once and she wondered if it was dead. Irritated, she went outside to see if it had died. It hadn't. It just looked at her with solemn blue eyes. Snarling curses at the absent hunter, she picked up the infant and brought it inside. What was she going to do with this thing? She had no milk. No diapers, no clothes, nothing that a baby needed. Where in the hell had he found this thing?

She resolved that she would keep it up until she found another group of survivors to take it wherever they were headed. She needed to move soon. But first she needed to bathe this awful little creature. The hot water still worked here. That wasn't always the case but she was grateful when the appliances worked.

She ran a bath for the baby. Unwrapping the blankets carefully, she looked the child over for injuries. It didn't appear to have any, despite being covered in blood. The child was a girl and violet wondered what she was going to call the child. She had never had any interest in having children so she wasn't sure what an appropriate baby name would be. Violet decided she would call her Estelle. The kid needed a name so the other survivors would buy her sob story and take the brat off her hands.

Estelle seemed lifeless and was very floppy. Violet knew she would need to eat but she wasn't sure if the store she had been getting her supplies from had any sort of canned milk. Violet realized too late this kid was going to need some diapers or it'd be a very disgusting night. So Violet wrapped her up in a clean blanket, laid her on the bed and prepared to head out to the store in search of food or some towels or something.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

After placing the baby in the center of the bed and surrounding it with pillows, Violet locked the bedroom door and secured the adjoining rooms. She then secured the whole sanctuary. It had been quiet since Vincent's return and she wondered if he had anything to do with the decreased Infected activity. Either way, she only had to kill one infected on her way to the store.

The store was only a block away. Violet made the journey quickly and silently. A familiar shadow followed her path from above and in an odd way, she felt more secure knowing he was there. The streets were deserted. Rotting corpses dotted the maze of broken glass and shattered hope. Violet saw none of this. Every sense she had was tuned in for survival. She listened and watched for any signs of approaching Infected. The last thing she needed was to be ambushed by a large horde.

He watched her quietly. Something was wrong. She looked nervous, jumpy, not at all herself. He barely noticed when a small figure jumped beside him, growling quietly. Without sparing a glance, Vincent gave a low growl of welcome to the small female hunter. She attempted to nuzzle him and he pushed her away roughly. His human was acting bizarre. He needed to see what was happening and had no time for Little One and her odd games.

Violet slipped into the store, in search of baby items. Thoroughly disgusted with Vincent, Violet realized she had no idea on where to start. Diapers would be as sensible as any item. She made her way through the abandoned supermarket, ignoring the smell of rotting food coming from coolers that had long since stopped working. This particular store had been fairly ignored by looters, so there was a fair selection of shelf stable items. This store was one of the reasons she was reluctant to leave this sanctuary. She was well provided for here. But she sensed she would have to leave soon.

She stumbled upon a section of the store that seemed entirely dedicated to small children and felt instantly alarmed. How on earth was she supposed to know what this thing needed? It was so small, what size clothes did it wear? What did it eat? There had to be thirty kinds of formula here! And in her haste, she had forgotten her pillowcase to carry her spoils. Damn it all to hell when she got back she was going to throw that damn creature into the street and let the infected fight over it!

As she was fuming, an unfamiliar figure crept closer and closer to Violets inattentive figure. She started piling baby items into a bag she found near the diapers when she heard a faint hiss of breath. Dropping the items and whipping around quickly, Violet readied her pistol as she scanned the dark store nervously. She saw nothing but knew something was there.

The fear came of the small human in waves. It positively reeked of fear and anger. Anger wasn't the proper response. Humans ran, not stayed. Humans didn't fuss around with weapons when scared. What was wrong with this human? The nerve of this creature. It would suffer for its impudence.

Violet wasn't sure where the infected was. But she knew it was a witch or a hunter. Either one was deadly, especially when it had the element of surprise. Yet she was unwilling to abandon her supplies. The little bastard on her bed needed this and she refused to have it making a mess and stinking up her sanctuary. She quickly collected the clothes, diapers, formula and other baby items she had collected and started to cautiously make her way out of the store. Just as she was reaching the front of the store a shoe fell out of the bag and she leaned over to grab it, cursing the small creature on her bed silently.

Violet didn't believe in luck, but she was certainly lucky at that moment. Just as she leaned over to pick up the small bootie, a small hunter leapt at her, shrieking loudly. It just grazed her back and violet was momentarily stunned. She jumped to her feet preparing to defend herself. She fired off three shots, and all of them missed. Something had already thrown the hunter across the room. Violet fought to see in the dark, and she just barely made out Vincent. He was over top the smaller snarling and yipping. She had no idea why he had protected her but she wasn't sticking around to find out. She grabbed the bag and ran for the sanctuary, firing at the Infected that had been drawn in by her previous shots. She never missed; save for the three shots that didn't make it into the small hunters' skull.

Vincent was angry. Females were nothing but trouble. Little One never listened to her instincts! She had tried to attack prey that outsmarted her tenfold. If he hadn't pushed her away the small human would have swiftly ended her life. He did not want to smell the life leave Little One. He hated when Little One behaved this way. She had already been injured in her first attempt to hunt. He didn't need her endangering herself any more. He always hunted for her. What had provoked her into attacking the dangerous prey?

Violet ran into the sanctuary quickly, her heart pounding loudly. She ran to the room, and listened at the door as she searched for the key. There was a quiet cooing coming from inside and it took her a moment to realize that the noise was in fact, coming from the creature on the bed and not an infected that had busted in. she opened the door to see the small bundle gurgling happily as it wiggled on the bed. Covered in dirt and gore, Violet collapsed onto the bed next to Estelle, shaking. Blue eyes stared at her sweetly as Violet felt tears rolling down her cheeks.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Violet found that life with Estelle was peculiar. The child wasn't very demanding, but she went through her supplies at a rapid rate. She was a quick learner and Violet took great amusement in teaching her basic things. She was perhaps a month old when she started rolling around and Violet was pleased with her progress. The child seemed to sense that being quiet was key to survival as the numbers of Infected seemed to be rising every day. No survivors had been seen since the group with the pregnant girl. She suspected that very pregnant woman was Estelle's mother and she wondered how Vincent had stumbled upon her.

Vincent liked to watch the small human even more now. She often carried the creature he had given her around and he sensed she had changed, just a bit. She was just as wary, but she seemed to put a little more worry onto that small creature. He pitied the Infected that dare approach the small human when she had the creature with her. He had never witnessed such savagery, even from the Big Angrys.

It was a warm day in October when Violet finally saw another group of survivors. She counted herself lucky once again because she and Estelle were in quite a tight spot. Holding Estelle to her with one arm she ran out of ammo for her handgun and had to resort to a shotgun. Doing her best to fend off the advancing horde and cover poor Estelle's ears, violet knew their situation was grim. She started to panic, and had to quickly snap herself out of the idea of abandoning Estelle. That simply wasn't an option.

Vincent observed the human from a roof top, with mounting agitation. Little One snarled unhappily, unable to comfort him. She never understood his fascination with this human, but perhaps he with his two good eyes saw something she did not with her one remaining eye. He was odd but a mate was a mate. He protected her and hunted for her. She was fond of him. Vincent didn't like the panic he felt coming off the human in waves. He sensed that soon he would not have a human or her creature to observe.

Violet was frantically trying to pump the shotgun with one hand when she heard a very familiar and a very welcome sound. A machine gun was cutting through the horde surrounding her and Estelle. She continued her assault upon the beasts in front of her as her rescuer made quick work of the rest. After the last infected was dead, she took a moment to check on Estelle. The infant was shaking and she saw terror in those unsettling blue eyes. Violet pulled her closer and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked at her savior and was surprised to see more than one person gawking at her.

"Damn. I've never seen anything like that before!" A portly Latina girl exclaimed. She stared at Violet as if she were another species all together.

Ever the socialite, Violet smiled sweetly as she wiped the blood off her face. "My name is Violet. This is Estelle. We are quite thankful you showed up when you did. We were in a little bit of trouble."

"Hello Violet. My name is Francesca. I'm just glad we got here in time." The Latina girl thrust a hand at Violet, which she took reluctantly.

"I'm Sage. Good to see somebody who's healthy." A very tall African-American man offered her his hand. What was with these people? Why so touchy feely? Did they want to "hug it out" too?

Violet shook each hand and plastered the smile she had used to manipulate dozens of people on her face. She needed to learn more about these people to figure out how to convince them to take this child. She quickly led them to her sanctuary and offered them something to eat. As they ate she explained to them Estelle's sad, sad story. Obviously not the real one. That wasn't nearly dramatic enough. Violet had to spin a tale of dying wishes and health problems and the desperate need for a guardian for her darling beloved Estelle. Francesca looked almost moved to tears by violet's tale, but Sage was less than moved. He thanked Violet dryly for the food and insisted he and Francesca move on. Without Estelle.

After they had gone, Violet started cleaning in agitation. This stupid brat had made her soft. No one had ever seen through her ruses, ever. And now a man of all people had seen right through her! She was so enraged she went outside and shot a few infected just to make herself feel better. After five dead Infected lay at her feet she heard a shriek. A hunter was about and Violet couldn't wait to take the predator on.

If she had been paying close attention Violet would know that Hunters very rarely make the noise she had heard. That was a fear scream and it had come from Vincent. He was racing after Little One, simply scared out of his mind. That stubborn strange hardheaded female had really done it now. The human hadn't secured her dwelling well when she left and Little One noticed. She also knew that the small human's little creature was inside the dwelling. And the little creature smelled like food. Good food. Not the barking food or the flying food they had been living on. She was trying to enter the humans den and Vincent knew that would anger the small human and Little One would not survive the encounter. He needed to get her away. He needed to get her away quickly.

Violet headed back to her sanctuary, disappointed that she had heard nothing more of the passing hunter. She stopped short when she heard a strange chorus of screeches. And saw that her sanctuary door was ripped open. Violet felt pure terror as she realized her door was open and Estelle was in there alone. Defenseless. A scream was ripped from her lungs when she saw blood and a blanket on the floor as soon as she entered the door. She raced to the bedroom and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Vincent and another, smaller hunter, in a pool of blood on the bed where Estelle had been.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Violet stood shaking and screaming in the doorway as the hunters wrestled on the bed. Vincent dragged the small hunter off the bed and tried to get her out the door past Violet. She had never felt anything like what she was feeling at that moment. She was numb except for the pain. So much pain didn't seem possible. She was blind to the fact that these monsters weren't human anymore. She stood screaming at Vincent, asking him how he could do such a thing. How he could betray her. She screamed at the small hunter. Asking it why she hurt Estelle. An innocent baby who had never done anything to anyone.

Vincent dragged Little One away from the den. The small human was dangerous and enraged. The kind of rage he had never seen. He knew it wouldn't be long before she slaughtered everything in her wake. She didn't appreciate being trespassed upon. So he quickly dragged Little One away so the life wouldn't leave her. He needed her to live. He cautiously returned to the den hoping he could placate the small human. She still stood staring, shaking uncontrollably, which made her even more frightening then when she had been screaming.

Violet was vaguely aware that Vincent had returned. Probably to finish her off. She didn't care. She had failed poor Estelle so badly. She couldn't even imagine the fear the poor baby had felt. Ripped apart by monsters wondering where Violet was and why she wasn't protecting her. She just leaned against the doorframe and cried silently. She watched Vincent crawl under the bed. What was that stupid thing doing? Was he attempting to hide so he could kill her later? How idiotic to hide while she was watching. These mindless beasts deserved to be annihilated. She shook herself out of the fog and readied her pistol. This stupid animal would pay. He would suffer just like Estelle had suffered.

Vincent heard the human ready her weapon and a primal fear hit him. Vincent sensed that if he didn't move quickly he would be dead. He quickly crawled out from under the bed and dragged a blanket with him. He presented the blanket to Violet whimpering softly, almost sounding as if he were pleading.

Violet stared in amazement as the blanket let out a wail. A strong, unfamiliar healthy wail that caused Violet to fall to her knees. That wail came from a baby. A living confused scared baby with solemn unsettling blue eyes. She was alive. Estelle was all right. Save for a large scratch on her cheek Estelle was just fine. Violet sobbed uncontrollably as she held the child to her. The world was dying around her but for the first time Violet was truly world was dying around her but for the first time Violet was truly alive.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

_**Hey guys, I know I haven't said much throughout this whole thing but I just wanted to say thank you so much to me reviewers and my loyal readers. Your feedback has been so wonderful and more than I could have hoped for. Thank you all. I love you all **_

Violet knew she was different. It was never like this before. But she didn't really mind being different. She had never met anyone more amazing than Estelle, and she doubted she ever would again. But things outside the sanctuary had continued to worsen. The number of infected had been on the rise and their fighting had been louder and more terrifying as the nights dragged on.

Violet rarely saw Vincent and the smaller hunter anymore. She felt that her friend had lost interest in her. She smiled to herself when she realized she was referring to the beast as a friend. But in the odd world she lived in there was no set norms or rules. So a hunter could be her friend and a child could steal a heart that couldn't feel.

Violet headed outside with Estelle strapped to her back. After the incident with the small hunter, Estelle never left her sight. Outside the sanctuary was dangerous and terrifying but the idea of not being there for the baby if she should need her chilled her to the bone. She took her everywhere. So on this adventure to gather supplies, Estelle was front and center.

Vincent watched from the rooftops in confusion. She seemed to value the small creature yet she continually brought it outside near his common brothers and his special brethren. Females were odd. He glowered up at a sky that started to grumble. Lights flashed across the heavens and Vincent shivered. They were coming. He could smell it in the air. Little One could too. She was excited and continually on the move. It drove him crazy. She just needed to be at peace. He couldn't think with her constant yammering and snarling.

She was an attractive mate, even if she was annoying. She was very small and thin. Almost fragile. He liked the way her blond hair fell in her face. Beneath her hot pink hood silvery blond hair and her remaining eye glowed brightly. She took care not to get too dirty and would often splash around in the water. He wasn't nearly as hygienic. His black and red hoodie was stained with gore and mud, tattered and less than pleasant smelling. Little One often tried to get him to wash his face off and clean his brown hair, but he rarely obliged. He was large for a Hunter, nearly six and a half feet tall if he stood upright, which was very rare.

She anxiously awaited their survival. But he wasn't looking forward to it. Their numbers were increasing and he was weary. He didn't feel like asserting authority. He just wanted to lay down with Little One and sleep. He was often tired. Some days he was too tired to hunt. Little One watched and listened whining quietly. She didn't understand. He didn't really understand either. He just sensed when they came it would kill him to keep Little One at home.

Violet was thoughtful. The thunderstorms had become more frequent, as had the groups of survivors passing through. She tended to keep out of sight now, instead of letting herself be seen. She didnt know if she could trust these people around Estelle and she wasn't risking it. She had seen too much and wasn't exposing the child to more danger.

Violet stared into the mirror one night after Estelle was in bed. She was trying to see if she looked different. She certainly felt different. She stared at the alabaster face. Her emerald eyes looked the same. Her full lips looked the same. Her auburn hair was a mess of curls from her lack of attention to it. She preferred when it fell in soft waves but in apocalypse one couldn't be picky. She had grown thinner. Her curves were gone and she had resumed her natural petite shape. She was muscular now. She flexed her arm and smiled at the mirror. She wasn't unattractive. Caring hadn't totally destroyed her looks. When this was apocalypse was over she was going to put some highlights in. if the apocalypse ever ended. She didn't want Estelle to think her mother was a frumpy old bag.

That thought stopped her dead. Had she just referred to herself as a mother? No absolutely not. Just a slip of the tongue, mind whatever. Maybe she was dehydrated. Or lacking potassium. Yeah that had to be it. She was deficient and thinking crazy things.

She walked around the sanctuary quietly, securing it as she went. She shuddered as she heard the loud howls and snarls of the infected outside. She had a horrible feeling that things would get much worse before they got better and even the local infected seemed agitated. Something was happening. Soething was coming and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.

Little One sat on a rooftop across from the she humans dwelling. Her mate was sleeping again. Always sleeping. She sniffed the air. They were close. She wondered if the she human knew. Probably not. Humans were stupid. They were food because they were easy to sneak up on. They should use their noses. Then they would know. Stupid humans. She sniffed the night air again. They were so close. She couldn't wait.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Vincent slept most of the days away. He rarely moved from his and Little One's nest. She would try to rouse him, but he just snarled and rolled over. Silly females wasting energy on games. He needed to rest. They were coming and he needed to be ready. He knew he wasn't. He knew he would fail. But he couldn't let her down. He had to protect her. He had always protected her.

Little One hated that her mate did nothing now. She would hunt to feed him but if he didn't start cleaning himself she was leaving the den. He was beginning to smell dreadful. Even for a hunter, he was being repulsive. They would arrive soon and he was a mess. Shame shame shame. What would they think? They would think they were unworthy. Weak. She was not weak! She was strong! She would prove to them. She would prove this was her place. Her territory. She was dominant. Second only to her mate!

He opened one eye when he heard her gurgling and snarling quietly. She paced back and forth, snapping her jaws, looking agitated. He listened as she made angry mumbles. He saw no reason for her to be angry. They were warm and dry, her stomach didn't make the angry cry for food and he kept her satisfied with his affections. Stupid females. Never content. He rolled over and made a low rumbling noise. She stopped her mumbles short and trotted to him eagerly. She nuzzled his neck and licked his face eagerly.

He was leaving the den! Her mate wished to play and leap and jump and hunt! He wanted to go out and about with her! She was overjoyed and made happy high pitched yelps, leaping around excitedly. He hated when she acted this way but this time he responded in turn. He leapt with her, and jumped at her playfully. They rolled around together, yowling like cubs. She was so overjoyed she stopped in the road and howled in pure delight. He stiffened and stood stock still. She immediately crouched, fearing she had angered him.

Little One was so beautiful. He watched her play and jump. He needed to protect her. When she howled happily he just stared in amazement. He had made her so happy? She was amazing. Foolish and headstrong, he had chosen her above all the rest for the joy he saw in her. When he had nightmares, hearing the screams and images that he didn't understand, Little One would snuggle closer and remind him he wasn't alone. Silly female didn't think. He needed her to be safe.

He continued to stare and she was afraid. Had she angered him? Would he return to the den now? He approached her and clumsily wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened, waiting to see what this new behavior would bring. He had never touched her like this and she was somewhat afraid. The last couple weeks he had been acting oddly and she knew he overpowered her in every way. She was pleasantly surprised when she realized this was an affectionate embrace.

He nuzzled her neck, feeling her relax. He had scared her. He had just wanted to be close to her. This behavior felt right. Familiar somehow. He needed her to know how important she was. In case he failed her. He needed her to know he wanted to protect her always and he would die trying if that's what it took.

Violet was changing an especially pungent diaper when she froze. An unearthly howl split the air and she was certain she had never heard that particular noise before. She made her way to the sanctuary door and looked out cautiously. She was amazed to see Vincent and the smaller hunter outside. He looked as if he were pinning her down until Violet looked closer and realized he was hugging her. This surprised Violet. The infected were capable of showing affection now? The world really was going to hell in a hand basket. What was next? They'd take picnics to the park and offer her tea and crumpets? She shook her head as she went to engage Estelle in a joyful game of peekaboo.

Vincent was splashing in a pool with Little One when he smelled them. They had arrived. Little One stopped splashing happily and shivered. He let out a low warning growl but it wasn't necessary. Within seconds he and Little One were surrounded by hunters of all shapes and sizes. The pack had arrived.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Vincent looked at the hunters around him. The females all stayed behind the males, in a showing of submission but he wasn't fooled for a minute. They would try to herd Little One into a corner and show dominance over her. Females were odd. They fought to the death over a position of subservience. And they didn't appreciate Little One skipping the rites of passage. He stood in front of her protectively. A growl escaped his throat before he silenced it. He didn't need anyone to see him not being entirely in control. He didn't need additional challenges.

Little One stayed behind her mate. She had hoped the other females would show her respect because her mate was the strongest male within hundreds of miles. But she could see they did not. They viewed her as weak, unworthy. Had they always been this big? They looked enormous and so strong. She would not survive a fight with these females. She backed away. She wanted them to go. Go now. Fear. Fear fear fear. Anger. They needed to go. This was her mate's territory. Their territory was far away. Go go go now.

He sensed Little Ones panic and he knew the others did too. The females inched closer, eagerly. He let out a snarl, warning them to back off. They stood defiantly, trying to go around him. One darted around him, pursuing his mate. He turned to chase after the female threatening Little One and was abruptly slammed into. He jumped up. The other females mate was issuing a challenge. Vincent snarled. His opponent was small but stopping to fight would mean leaving Little One to fend for herself. He had no choice. He screamed and leapt at the other male.

Little One raced down the street as fast as she could a pack of females was on her heels and gaining on her quickly. Why were they so fast? Fear fear fear. Breathing was hard. Air harshly ripping out of her lungs in gasps. She was going to die. She didn't want to die. Fear fear terror. Didn't want to die. No no no.

Violet heard a chorus of screams and snarls and smiled. What were they doing now? She went to look outside and see what her hunters were up to. She gasped at what she saw. The small hunter was surrounded by a small group of hunters. They weren't being amiable small hunter was screaming in terror. She had never seen special infected turn on each other like this. Was food getting so scarce that they were cannibalizing each other? Where was Vincent? Surely he was going to protect her? Unless he was already eaten. She shook her head. She couldn't watch this. Only the strong survive.

Estelle started to whine quietly and Violet walked to her side. Estelle wasn't strong. She was helpless. But she had her to protect her. Because Violet loved her. Just like Vincent loved the small hunter outside. God damn animals. Absolute pain in the ass. She readied her pistols and strapped Estelle to her back. She threw open the sanctuary door and started firing.

After he was done with his opponent Vincent tore off looking for Little One. None of the others followed. He could smell her and he could smell blood. So much blood. Where was she? Was she dead? So much blood. She must be dead. He screamed angrily at the sky. His beautiful joyful mate. They had taken the beauty from his world.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

_**OK GUYS, IT'S BEEN A WHILE. HOLIDAYS ALWAYS GET THE BEST OF ME. MY MAIN GOAL HERE IS TO ENTERTAIN YOU SO IF THERES A LITTLE MELODRAMA I HOPE YOULL FORGIVE ME. I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHERE I WAS GOING AFTER THIS SO I REALLY HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT. IM HOPING YA'LL WILL LOVE IT. THANKS GUYS FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE. IT'S BEEN GREAT SO FAR **_

Violet surveyed the mess around her with a quiet satisfaction. It was a beautiful thing really. Being at the top of the food chain had always been something she took for granted but when you really had to earn the position, it was amazing. Hunter corpses littered the street. Only two hunters remained. A small blond in a pink hoodie trembled visibly and a larger hunter in a purple and green hoodie was curled up behind the smaller hunter, letting out terrified screeches. Estelle cooed quietly as Violet retreated across the street.

He rushed to his mate. All he could smell was blood. But he could see her. He didn't know how badly she was injured. But he could see her. And she was alive. He sniffed at her and whimpered. Nuzzling her, he whined in her ear. She didn't move. She just whined back. She was scared. But she was alive. Calming down, he surveyed the mess around him. The other females were dead. Except for his mate and one other. He looked across the street and saw the small human. She stood there, weapon in hand, staring at him coldly. She did this? All these females were dead. He shook his head. He knew he was right to stay on this female's good side. She was deadly.

Violet stiffened when Vincent slowly approached her. He was honestly getting a little too familiar. He wasn't a god damned dog! Yet, he approached her as one. He kept low, moving slowly and whimpering the whole way. He stood up on two legs awkwardly and Violet let out a hiss of unease. He was very big when he did that. She backed up, but he kept waddling towards her, arms outstretched. It would have been funny if it hadn't been downright horrifying. Estelle let out a giggle that set violet into a fit of laughter. The whole world had gone completely crazy.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but she stood stock still to see what her odd friend was going to do. She was pleasantly surprised when he wrapped her legs in a clumsy hug. She was delighted when she realized he was showing gratitude. She surprised herself further by returning the embrace. She barely even noticed the gunshot that went off. But she did notice the loud hiss Vincent gave and she certainly noticed the claws that dug into her butt.

"Ow goddammit stupid that hurts!" she snapped.

Her anger was cut short when he fell to the ground. She watched in horror as blood flowed from a wound on his side. She fell to her knees, whipping up his shirt to look at the damage. He was tore up pretty bad but she could patch him up. She had to patch him up. Her friend was sick. She needed to help him. She was shocked to find tears falling onto his jacket. Who was crying? Was she crying? She touched her cheek and sobbed when she felt warm tears sliding down. He was dead. Vincent was dead. She looked around to tell the small hunter but she was gone. Was she dead too? Violet just kneeled there by Vincent's body. Until someone interrupted her and Estelle's mourning. She heard a voice cut through her mental fog.

"Are you okay ma'am? I got him afore he started digging ya. Tha' was lucky."

She looked up at the voice blearily. She saw a young man in a baseball cap, a black woman in a dirty pinkish shirt, a man in a white suit and an older man wearing purple.

"Honey is that a baby on your back?" the woman asked her in surprise.

Violet ignored her and looked at the man in the baseball cap. "You killed him" she accused him, hating that she was unable to control her voices pitch.

He blinked at her in surprise. The man in the white suit stared at her, irritation evident on his face. "What do you mean lady? Of course he killed it. Or it'd be picking its teeth with your kids' bones right now. Are you serious?"

Violet just shook her head and screamed "GO! LEAVE NOW OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

The group of uninfected moved on quickly, probably unwilling to deal with a crazed woman with guns. The crazy woman with the guns retreated to her sanctuary sadly. She was grateful for Estelle more than ever. Because without Vincent she felt so incredibly alone.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Violet didn't sleep that night. She was unsure of why she was feeling so sad. She didn't really know him. He was just a dead animal, like so many of the other animals she slaughtered without thought. But he wasn't the same. She knew that. He held onto his humanity even after the disease ravaged his body, changed him physically and mentally. He held onto his compassion even after he was sick and violet couldn't understand.

The next day she looked through her cupboards and sighed. She had been putting off this food run but she really couldn't procrastinate any longer. Estelle was down to half a can of formula and violet had two bottles of water left. So it was definitely time to make her way to the store and stock up. She made a quick mental list of things she needed, knowing full well she'd just grab whatever struck her fancy. Even in an apocalypse she was still a compulsive shopper.

She readied her weapons, and then got Estelle ready. She was ready to step outside when she heard loud shrieks. She immediately secured the door and backed away. She put Estelle on the tattered couch and crept to the barred window to peek out. She was amazed to see the smaller hunter was back and guarding Vincent's corpse. The common infected were trying to feed off of it and the female hunter was having none of that. Violet could respect her protecting her mate's body and realized she was embarrassed. She should have buried him so something like this wouldn't happen.

She shook her head. Fairly disgusted with herself she strapped Estelle to her back and went outside. The commons immediately gave up attacking the body and hurtled towards her. With a few quick swings of her sledgehammer they were lying at her feet. One was incapacitated. She had clearly broken its neck. But it clung to life and made pathetic whimpering sounds. Violet looked down at it with a cold distant stare, before she slammed her booted foot down on its head, effectively crushing its skull. She looked up to see the smaller hunter hissing at her.

She could smell the human. The human wasn't scared anymore. The human didn't have any emotions. This scared her. Why was the human unafraid? Human had killed the other females. Human would kill her too. She hissed at the human in fear. Go away human. Go away. Leave her and her mate alone. Go go go!

Violet approached the smaller hunter quickly. She showed no fear so the little beast knew who was in charge. She reached out and smacked her. The hunter recoiled and lowered herself to the ground submissively. These things weren't unlike dogs. She spoke slowly and clearly. "We need to move him so the others will leave his body alone. Estelle and I are going to move him okay? Just relax. We are going to take him into the mausoleum over there." She pointed to the cemetery about three blocks over.

The human was odd. It had struck her and was now making odd noises. Her movements showed she wanted her mate. Why would the human want her mate. Did she want to eat him? Humans didn't eat meat did they? She was too scared of this human to deny her. So she watched anxiously as the human started to drag her mate away. She followed the human and watched curiously. Why was she headed away from her den? She scared off some of her common sisters that smelled the humans small creature. It had begun to stink and was easy to pinpoint. She wondered if the human knew the thing on her back was like a stinky target. From the look on her face, she knew.

The human dragged him to a hill that was covered in rocks. She knew this hill was special somehow but all she knew was it smelled like death. She came to a building made of stone. The human broke the lock on the door and dragged her mate inside. She understood now. The human was guarding him from the others. She nodded enthusiastically. Maybe this human wasn't stupid.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Violet was dragging Vincents body into the mausoleum whn she felt something hit her foot. Cringing, wondering what random piece had fallen off of the corpse, she looked down cautiously. She was surprised to see a man's wallet beside her foot. Where had Vincent gotten a wallet? It couldn't possibly be his. It wouldn't have lasted this whole time. She considered this. Maybe it would have, as she had never seen Vincent change. And he was rather tattered filthy and smelly. On top of Estelle's stinky diaper this day wasn't the freshest in memory. She looked at the smaller hunter and frowned. Where did he find this tiny creature? Were they infected together? Did they know each other before the infection?

She decided that the body was secure as it was ever going to be. So she slipped the wallet into her pocket and headed home. There was no reason to stick around and wait for the zombies to find her. After some hesitation, the smaller hunter started to follow her. Violet gave her a hard stare. She wasn't going to kill her but she certainly wasn't bringing that beast into the sanctuary. She slipped inside to change estelles diaper and examine the wallet. She really needed to get to the store so she had to make it quick.

The wallet was well worn, black and faded. Made of leather it didn't fasten, rather it just unfolded. Inside were a license, various credit and debit cards, cash, some photos and a school ID. On it said staff. He worked at the school? She looked at the license. Brennan Evans, age 26, 185 pounds, 6'2" tall, blue eyes, brown hair. That was about the right height, when he stood on two feet. Violet shook her head. The picture on the license was of a handsome man, with a charming half smile. If this was Vincent, he had been gorgeous.

The school ID showed the same handsome man, in a dress shirt and tie. Well he wasn't a gym teacher. The debit and credit cards all bore the same name. Brennan Evans was a handsome man, but he wasn't a wealthy one. There was only six dollars in cash and some odd change. A coffee shop punch card made violet smile sadly. He had only been two coffees away from his free cup.

The photographs were what really interested Violet. The first was of Brennan with three small dogs. He was smiling brightly at the camera, in front of a small house. Violet was almost jealous of how picturesque this scene really was. It was beautiful. The next photo was even more interesting. This photo was professionally done, as most wedding pictures are. Brennans bride was beautiful in a flowing white gown that cascaded to the floor. She looked like a princess. Big brown doe eyes complimented her tanned skin. Long black hair fell in soft, loose curls. They made a beautiful couple and violet felt a twinge of jealousy once again. There were a few more pictures of this beautiful woman. In one she was wearing cut off jean shorts and a tank top, posing with one of the small dogs from the previous picture. Another was of her wearing a stunning and sexy red evening dress, and the last was Violet's favorite. The woman looked completely delighted, a smile ear to ear. A Christmas tree in the background was lit up and only complimented her glow. She was opening a gift and she looked straight out of a magazine.

The final photograph in the wallet was stuffed into an inner pocket and Violet almost missed it. In this photo Brennan smiled ear to ear, in front of the same house in the other pictures. He had his arms wrapped around his equally delighted and heavily pregnant wife. In the photo Brennan was wearing a hoodie that was awfully similar to the red and black one she had just seen on the hunters body before she closed the mausoleum. She searched the wallet for baby pictures, but there was none. That left her to believe Brennan had been infected shortly after this photo had been taken. If he was wearing a hoodie it stood to reason this was during the late spring, early summer. Violet felt her heart drop when she thought of Brennan never meeting his child. She shuddered to think what had happened to the beautiful woman in the pictures.

She looked once again to the happy family in front of their beautiful little home. She stared at the house. It almost looked familiar. Then it hit her. It was familiar. Infact she passed it on every supply run she went on. She stared sadly at the pictures before putting them back into the wallet and placing them on the table. Vincent hadn't made it very far from home. This outbreak of disease had destroyed thousands if not millions of lives. But today Violet cried for Brennan Evans, his beautiful wife and their unborn child.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

_**Hi guys. Hope you like how the story is going. In this chapter you will be briefly introduced to a human and a witch named Gabby. These two characters aren't mine and my writing buddy Deathblade 131313 has graciously allowed me to enrich my story with characters from his story The Last Survivor. Isn't he nice? Gabby and Kyle are both totally his and I take absolutely for credit for them. I suggest you read The Last Survivor if you haven't already. It's a great story.**_

She didn't cry for long. She couldn't afford the luxury of falling apart. Estelle needed her to be at her prime, to keep her alive. Mourning someone she had never really meant was pointless when there was someone alive who relied on her. She pulled herself together and prepared Estelle for the short trip to the store. They needed supplies.

She had a hard time opening the door and it took her a moment to realize the smaller hunter had curled up in front of it. Giving it a good hard shove she sent the hunter leaping away with a surprised shriek. Shaking herself like she was drenched she walked up to Violet cautiously. Violet ignored her and they started off down the road. It was starting to get dark and Violet was on full alert. The last thing she needed was to be ambushed. If the small group of hunters attacking Vincent's mate had grouped together like that, it was likely that other special infected would do the same.

She smelled them before they had even reached the building. The human couldn't smell them? It was sickening. Fruit and scented soap. They were clean. This confused her. Her sisters weren't clean. Why was this Crying Sister clean? She could smell the human too. Also clean. She wrinkled her nose. Overly clean. Why was there no blood? The crying sister would certainly smell the human. Perhaps she was not in such a terrible mood? Crying sisters were always in terrible moods.

She tried to warn the human with low growls but the human just hissed "Shhhh" and continued. She whimpered softly and received the same noise. Perhaps the human was unafraid? Maybe she didn't fear the crying sisters. She was a fearsome human but no human would survive. She had to fight the crying sister alone. Only death for humans then. She was sad. Her mate would be sad.

Violet headed into the store with a fairly whiney hunter. She headed directly towards the baby items. She needed to get more formula. She wanted to try to get some cereal too; as the back of the box claimed it would help Estelle sleep through the night better. She placed a few boxes of baby cereal and a few cans of formula and a couple more bottles into her bag. She needed food for herself now so she started looking through the brightly packaged shelf stable items. She decided she wanted some chocolate. She had seen a candy aisle on the last trip and decided against it, but this time she was getting all the snickers bars she could carry.

Making a mental note of where the small hunter was, she headed down to aisle six. Candy and baking goods. She turned the corner and froze. She was nearly nose to nose with a witch. The witch froze and stared as Violet backed away slowly and pulled out her gun. And this distance a headshot would be easier than tying her own shoes. She wasn't sure why she hesitated but she did. Maybe it was because the witch looked more startled than dangerous. Maybe it was because this witch didn't give off the putrid odor Violet had come to associate with witches. In fact this one was clean. Oddly so, as she was even wearing clean clothes. A simple white bra and panties set was all she wore but it was in perfect condition. No bloodstains, no filth.

She was grateful for this hesitation when a teenage boy rounded the corner. He too looked startled. He saw Violet and one word escaped his mouth.

"GABBY!"

The shout echoed in the empty store and caused Violet to jump slightly. Even Estelle made a sudden noise of displeasure at the loud noise. He was a tall boy with brown hair, and on his face was a look of sheer panic. It took violet a moment to realize that he was in fact talking to the witch. Realizing she was still pointing her gun at the bewildered witch, she lowered it and watched the odd scene unfold.

As soon as her name was shouted the witch snapped her head to the side to look at the boy. He looked scared shitless and he quickly pulled her away from Violet. Violet just watched in amazement as the boy grabbed the witch's arm and basically ran from her. She had never seen anyone get that close to a witch, let alone touch one, without getting shredded like cheese on a grater. She watched as they headed out the door.

She looked at the small hunter who appeared at her side. This changed everything. Vincent and this hunter were not an accident. They were not a fluke. There were infected people out there who were not only capable of rational thought, they were living with humans. This encounter proved to Violet that these things weren't just mindless animals. They were people. Sick people, but still human beings. That boy was taking care of that witch, watching out for her. Just like she needed to watch out for this small hunter. Because sick or not, this little hunter was alone in the world and needed a friend. Besides, Violet had never had a female friend before.

She looked at her friend and spoke, the words cutting through the silence. "You're coming inside tonight. It's too dangerous for you to be out there on your own. But you're taking a bath and you're getting a new outfit on. I'll get some meat for you, but you'll have to settle for canned. Don't make me regret this decision. Tomorrow we'll go see Vincent's old house. So you can see his life before you, and so I can see if I can figure out what happen to his wife and baby. I need to know the end of that story. Everyone's story should be told. One of these days we'll figure out yours."

The human was speaking to her. More than she had ever heard the human speak before. But it was nice. She enjoyed listening to the sounds the human made when she wasn't angry. She purred softly and followed the human home. She purred even louder when the door was held open for her. She was allowed inside the humans den? She rubbed her head against the human's leg happily. She didn't have to go to the den alone. She had a new den now. With her mates human. It was her human too now.

Violet watched nervously as the small hunter lay sleeping on the couch. This was so crazy. These things wanted to kill her and Estelle. In fact, many had tried. Yet here one was, sleeping on the couch like an oversized cat. She took Estelle up to the bedroom and locked and barricaded the door. She wanted to believe this hunter was different but she couldn't risk Estelle getting hurt. So for now, she would live uneasily. It was a small price to pay to make sure that everyone was safe.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

_**I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED THIS STORY. THERE WOULDN'T BE A STORY WITHOUT YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND IF I HAVENT MESSAGED YOU YET JUST MESSAGE ME AND BE LIKE HEY YOU, YOU WITH THE FACE. I LOVE YOU ALL FOR ALL THE HELP IVE GOTTEN. THANK YOU!**_

Violet awoke with a start when sunlight hit her face. She hadn't intended to sleep. She looked over and saw Estelle sleeping peacefully. Okay, the hunter hadn't eaten everyone in the night. Massacre free nights were always good nights. She moved the furniture that was barricading the door as quietly as she could. She opened the door slowly and smiled when she didn't see any chaos. The sanctuary was clean as usual. She had chosen this house because of its safety. It must have been in a bad neighborhood before the outbreak because of the security measure that had been taken. The doors were reinforced steel. All of them, not just the door leading to the outside. They all had deadbolts that locked from the inside, and every window had bars both inside and outside. She could understand the previous owners desire to keep his property protected but why stay in this neighborhood?

It was a lovely home. The furniture was comfortable and expensive; the appliances were all state of the art. The living room, kitchen and den were all downstairs while the bedroom, bathroom and office were upstairs. In the office was a safe that violet had attempted to open a few times, but to no avail. The bedroom was spacious, with a walk in closet full of expensive men's clothing. This was definitely a mans home. The décor was simple yet tasteful and there was really nothing to be desired. The appliances still worked by some miracle so she really had no reason for Estelle and her to leave.

She went back into the bedroom and roused Estelle. She grabbed her pistols and headed down the stairs. She was met by a delighted hunter bouncing around the living room. Rolling around on the floor like a puppy she yelped in delight when Violet headed to the kitchen to get breakfast for everyone. She sat patiently on the floor as Violet plopped a whole can of spam onto the plate. She fell upon it quickly making grunting and slurping sounds that cause Violet to wrinkle her nose I disgust.

"After you eat you're taking a bath O Disgusting One. And then you'll put on the new outfit I got you."

At the sound of the humans voice she looked up. This den was nice and soft. And the human gave her food. It wasn't very good food but it made her stomach stop hurting for the time being. She watched her human closely as she readied her creature's food. The creature seemed to eat white dirt mixed in with water; even the human didn't like the smell. The human put something into a dish that made quiet clinking noises. They were orange and left orange powder everywhere. The human seemed to enjoy them. They smelled good.

Violet gave a hard stare to the hunter that was practically in her lap. It seemed to be sniffing at the cheetos with a fair amount of interest which made Violet curious. Was it possible for them to eat normal food besides meat? She hadn't even thought about it. So she grabbed one and held it out to the hunter. She snuffled happily and went to take it when Violet drew back. "Use your hands, you aren't an animal" she commanded. The hunter sat back on her hunches and looked at her curiously. Violet gestured to her claws and mimed eating. The hunter reached out and took the cheeto carefully. She placed it into her mouth and bit down cautiously. She almost made violet laugh. The big bad hunter was afraid of a cheeto. Violets heart almost stopped when the hunter flew past her and snatched the bowl of cheetos off the table. Sitting in the corner of the kitchen she was shoveling cheetos into her mouth as quickly as she could. Violet was pleased to see that she was using her hands.

When it came bath time Violet was more than a little nervous. But this thing had to get clean or she couldn't live with it. She had grabbed a new pink hoodie, a simple pink t shirt and jeans. The hunter looked to be about a size 4. She hopped she'd make it through the bath to see if her judgment was correct. She had some simple cotton underwear that looked like it would fit her but the hunter was out of luck when it came to bras. Violet hadn't had any time to find one that was suitable. Either way, she'd smell a hell of a lot better.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

_**Sorry it's been so long guys. Life has a way of getting crazy. But I'm back with another chapter about everyone's favorite psychopath. Hope you enjoy it!**_

This human was odd. She was filling a large white box with water and somehow a small river was coming from the wall. She hissed at it. Why wasn't the human startled? She seemed happy the small river had come in. perhaps all humans had small rivers in their dens. Humans were so odd.

To Violets surprise the hunter looked fairly relaxed at the sight of the bath. She had hissed as the faucet was turned on but she didn't look nervous. She even looked interested in it. Maybe getting her in there was just a matter of persuasion? She started to assure the hunter how delightful baths were and how great she would feel afterwards. Perhaps she would be rewarded with some more Cheetos. Mmm yummy food for the good hunter who took a bath. Violet shook her head. This hunter wasn't a dog but it was hard to not treat her like one. To her delight the hunter hopped right into the tub. Unfortunately she still had clothes on. Now to try to convince her to take them off.

The human had indicated that she wanted her in the box full of water and she wasn't going to complain. It had been so long since she had cleaned herself she was starting to smell as bad as her mate. But now the human was asking something else and she didn't understand. To her shock the human started shedding her layers of protection. Soon the human wore nothing. Fully exposed the human kept mimicking the removal. She tilted her head to the side when she realized the human wanted her to remove her protective layers. She had never done this. She fumbled with them before whining plaintively. She wasn't sure how to do this.

The hunter whimpered pitifully when she couldn't remove her clothes. Violet was already naked. So why not get the hunter naked to? This world couldn't get any crazier. She started to undress the hunter when she gave out a low hiss. Violet backed off, unsure of how she had pissed off the predator. The hunter covered her head and it clicked. The light must bother her eyes. She flipped off the vanity lights. The hunter returned to her instantly.

Eye. The hunter only had one eye left. Most of the hunters she had seen were missing their eyes, which made their incredible accuracy all the more chilling. Other than the missing eye, this hunter wasn't very scarred. A few scars marred her back but other than that she looked flawless. Her long light blond hair, dirty and greasy looked like it had been her pride in life, long and shinning despite the grunge. She must have been beautiful in life. Her mutation had marred her structurally but hadn't really changed her. She looked so petite. Narrow hips and a tiny waist complimented her long legs.

She crawled into the box of water, purring happily as the warm water washed over her nakedness. It felt so good to be without the dirty protective layers. She watched the water change colors and somewhere in the back of her mind connection was made. She heard a far off voice laugh and proclaim "Another shower? You're the cleanest girl in the county". She shook her head. These voices usually only came to her right before sleep. She hoped it wouldn't start to happen all the time. It disrupted her thoughts and made it impossible to hunt.

Violet watched the hunter circle the tub awkwardly, yet happily. The water turned black almost immediately. Violet decided she was going to have to scrub this creature to get her really clean. She made a clicking noise with her tongue to get the hunters attention and lathered up a washcloth. She assured the hunter that cleanliness was next to godliness and she was going to make her a goddess. The hunter looked at her suspiciously at first, then with fear when Violet started scrubbing.

The two of them left the bathroom a little bit disgruntled with the other. The hunter eyed Violet irritably. The human had tried to scrub the skin off her body. Violet stared at the hunter with disgust. She hadnt intended to take a bath but she somehow managed to when the hunter tried to leap away from her. Despite the minor mishap, the hunter was clean and ready for her new clothes. So violet quickly dressed her and told her "Okay if you can manage to keep clean for ohhhh forever now we won't have to do that ever again." The hunter seemed okay with that idea.

Estelle was awake when Violet came into the room. The hunter slipped in behind her and crawled up to the infant cautiously. She nuzzled the small girl and made odd noises. Violet watched in amusement and laughed outright when she realized the hunter was trying to talk to talk to the baby. Probably telling her about the horrible ordeal in the bathtub. What made her laugh harder was Estelle seemed to be making sympathetic noises as she affectionately stroked the hunter's now clean hair.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Now that the hunter was clean and Estelle was content Violet needed to make a game plan. She would head to Vincent's former home and then onto another supply run. She was going to have to get a lot more food if the hunter kept eating at the rapid rate she was now.

She prepared Estelle and grabbed the bag she kept her supplies in. She wasn't sure she was ready for what might be waiting for her at that house. She knew that the beautiful woman in the pictures was probably dead. She didnt even want to think about what had happened to the baby. But she needed to know. For reasons she couldnt explain she felt like she owed it to Vincent to find out what had happened to his family.

The human looked thoughtful as she placed things into her bag. She wished she could understand what the human said but her words were meaningless and unintelligible to her mutated ears. Her mate seemed to understand a little bit but he was usually guided by both sight and smell. When the human set out she seemed sad. Why was the human sad? Perhaps she didnt want to go out anymore. It must be tiring to have to put yourself and your cub in danger all the time. She followed the human and recognized the route. The human was going to collect more supplies. Perhaps she would get more orange dusty foods. She liked the orange dusty foods very much. Even more than the belly of a freshly killed hman. And that was the best part!

Violet surveyed the outside of the small house Vincent had called home before the infection had ravaged the city. It must have been nice at one time but she couldn't see that now. Decaying corpses littered the yard along with garbage and broken glass. Pieces of boards and a lead pipe lay in the alkway. As she moved closer Violet realized it wasn't pieces of board but pieces of the wooden front door. The wooden door had been completely blown off its hinges and Violet shuddered to think of what could have done that. She had heard rumors about giant armed special infected that blasted through walls to smash its victims to death. She had never seen such a creature but she didn't doubt its exsistence.

As she got closer to the door the more dread she felt. She didn't know what was lurking in that dark house. What sad scene would she discover? The decaying body of Vincents beautiful wife? A dead baby? From what she had seen no child had ever survived a bout of the green flu. She had never seen a child become infected. The disease had always proven fatal. In a way that was a blessing. No child should ever have to endure the horror of becoming one of those horrible creatures. She steeled herself to witness untold horror as she entered the dim doorway.

Instead of the stuff of nightmares, Violet saw a broken home. she could tell from the remnants of the living room someone had taken the time to turn this small house into a cozy home. there was still some pictures over a mantle, a few hadnt been knocked off the wall and Violet would have bet good mone that the shattered and overturned glass coffee table had been very lovel before its destruction. The furniture had been left untouched for the most part. Cozy tan leather couches and matching recliners looked well worn but also well taken care of. it was clear Vincent and his wife took great pride in their home but Violets previous assumption held true. These were not wealthy people.

Reluctant to head up the stairs, the human trudged around the lower levels of the den. the smell of this place confused her. She smelled her mate. The smell was overpowering in this place. But he smelled different somehow. Like he was mingled with a human. But she knew this smell was old. He hadnt been here for a very long time. she could smell another long gone human. She was intrigued because the other humans scent was also familiar to her. When she first met her mate he absolutely reeked of this human and he continued to bring items that smelled of this human to their den. She was very interested in this den. Almost more so than the human that paced around picking up various items on the floor. She wholey approved of the humans instincts to come here. Her human was intelligent. She was proud she and her mate had such an astute pack member.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Violet didn't know why she hesitated. Putting off finding the dead bodies of Vincent's family didn't make them any less dead. Yet she still avoided the stairs. She didn't want to deal with seeing her dead friends dead loved ones. She was tired of death. There was too much gore and debris. Too much suffering and sadness. Living like this seemed foolish. They were all going to die. The realization hit violet like a truck. She would never be done running, never be done fighting for her life. There was nowhere really safe. These infected beasts were going to hunt her down until she was dead.

She watched the human with a decent amount of curiosity. The human didn't seem inquisitive anymore. She seemed saddened. She could smell the panic coming off the human and was confused. There was no danger. Her common brothers and sisters hadn't noticed them and none of her special siblings were around. She slowly followed the sad and anxious human up the stairs.

Violet got to the top of the stairs and pulled out her sledgehammer. It was a little ungainly but it was quieter than her pistols and wouldn't alert every infected in the area to their location. She wouldn't be caught unaware. This may be a never ending fight but she wasn't tossing in the towel just yet. She had a baby to take care of. Despite her light frame, her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty hall. She walked over to the bathroom and was delighted to find a fully stocked medicine cabinet. She had been out of antiseptic for two weeks and here was a full bottle!

After loading up on supplies from the bathroom she headed over to the next door on the left. Inside was a mostly undisturbed bedroom. Such a sweet little bedroom it was too. A large canopied bed stood in the center of the room, up against the back wall. Worn dressers and nightstands stood on either side. Like all the other rooms she had encountered the walls in this room were barely visible behind all the family photographs. Vincent and his wife's images smiled brightly from the frames, their deep love completely evident. While posed, the photos weren't forced. They leaned into each other's embrace so happily Violet felt, yet again, a twinge of jealousy for having never achieved that kind of joy. She had never been even half as happy as thee people obviously had been.

The human was staring at the walls. So she did too. There were images on the walls, all of the same humans. She stared long and hard at the male in the pictures. She knew those eyes. How did she know those eyes? She froze as she heard a high pitched buzzing and heard a far off voice. "Ms. Bryant? Are you listening? Ms. Bryant? Eye contact isn't everything…."

She shook her head. The voices seemed to be coming more frequently, and she didn't particularly enjoy it. None of it made any sense. And it disrupted her concentration. She needed to pay attention. Her mate would be angry if she didn't pay attention and something happened to their human. She needed to be on constant guard. The human was intelligent but she didn't have the superior abilities that were necessary to be top predator.

Violet looked over every detail in this small room, trying to make sense of what could have happened to the family that had once resided here. She saw no signs of violence whatsoever, even though she knew for a fact that when someone turns, especially into a Special, the area around them is splattered in gore and torn apart. From what she had seen the mutation was a horrible occurrence, painful and took up to three days. Vincent must not have changed here. He couldn't have. Everything was too pristine.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts she almost missed an incredibly ordinary object. On one of the nightstands, a cell phone sat, plugged into the charger. She crossed the room quickly and tried to turn it on. But as she expected, the battery was dead. This house didn't have electricity. She wasn't really sure how her sanctuary still had power but she was going to take this phone and charger home and power it up. It probably wouldn't offer her anything but old pictures. But it was important she had all the information and pieces to this puzzle she could. She wasn't sure where this unhealthy obsession had come from but she figured it was better than falling into deep depression over the impossibility of their situation.

The human was picking up a small flat box connected to a black string. She inched forward eagerly. She liked this flat box. She wasn't sure why, but she knew she was delighted with that small thing. She snuffled happily at the box until the human gave her a strange look. She backed away and lay flat. She lay frozen on the floor, feeling a strange sensation she had never felt before. She hissed out a warning she wasn't even sure of. She wasn't sure why but she knew something very bad was happening and she knew she could do nothing about it.

Violet watched as the hunter spread eagle, flat on the floor hissing like mad. What on earth was she doing? She shook her head and headed downstairs. It was time to go home. She and the small hunter moved swiftly down the sidewalk and the hunter's low continuous growl wasn't lost on her. What had gotten into her? She was acting so strangely. Her odd behavior became acceptable as the neared the sanctuary. Something had overturned cars, tore through buildings and if she wasn't mistaken, chunks of concrete had been torn up. Had there been a freak storm? What the hell?

She arrived at the sanctuary and could have wept. Something had torn right through the front of the house. There would be no way to repair this. What the hell could have done this? How had this happened? What was she going to do? She and Estelle were sitting ducks! It was getting dark and she had nowhere to bunk down for the night. She walked through the gaping hole that had formerly been her wall and went about collecting whatever important supplies she could salvage and carry amongst the rubble. She looked down as the hunter tugged at her tank top. She growled and whimpered and pointed awkwardly. She seemed to want violet to follow her. Violet shrugged. Why not? It's not like she had anywhere to be. She trudged heavily after her hunter, wondering where she was leading her. She heard Estelle sigh unhappily from her back and instinctively cooed softly back. For some reason she trusted this hunter to lead her and her daughter to safety. The world had truly gone crazy.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The human moved swiftly behind her but she couldn't help but wish her human would move faster. Night was a dangerous time for humans. Her brothers and sisters would be out without the fear of the dreaded light and the coughing brothers preferred the night as well. She couldn't smell anyone yet but she knew that wouldn't last. The human's cub was always stinky. A smelly target on her back is something the human could do without but she knew her human would never abandon their smallest pack member. Her mate would approve. Family is family.

Violet was taken aback when they arrived in front of a large house. It looked fairly well fortified but if it had really been safe other people would certainly have taken up residence and she wasn't willing to risk Estelle on some half crazed lunatic. The small hunter didn't seem to have the trepidation she did. She headed to the back of the house. So Violet followed her. She would know if there were other people here. She watched as the hunter scaled to the top floor on a trellis. Violet grimaced. Climbing a wall wasn't her idea of safe but she trusted the hunter's instinct. She slowly made her way up. She watched the hunter crawl inside a broken window, noting that if he hunter could get in, so could other infected. She heard a ruckus and something flew down past her. She turned her head to see a mutilated common infected dead on the ground. She looked up to see a small hunter gaging her progress.

The den was empty save one of her regular brothers. Knowing the humans aversion to them, she quickly dispatched the brother and tossed the corpse out the window, careful to avoid hitting the human and her cub. The rest of the den was secure and she watched the human's progress out the window. She was a very slow climber and a horrid leaper. Lucky she was adept with her weapons or she'd be a dead human. FINALLY the human crawled through the window. She could smell the human's suspicion. She scoffed. As temporary leader of the pack she would always clear the perimeter of threats.

Violet quickly went through the house, delighted that the house was practically a fortress. The only way in was the way she had gotten in. she could definitely secure that window. The hunter seemed to be standing guard over the window as it was. Her head was out the window and she was making low noises in her throat. She would be budged either. Violet tried to convince her to move but the hunter was adamant that she stayed right where she was at. So violet took to exploring the house.

Like Vincent's house it seemed largely untouched. The room they had come in at was a bedroom. Of a teenage girl no doubt. Lavender walls matched the dusty bedspread of the canopied bed. Posters and pictures littered the walls. In the corner was a pile of items that seemed out of place, almost like a nest. It dawned on her that the small hunter must have slept here before. She had brought her to an old nest. Interesting. Violet headed downstairs as the hunter stared out the window, sniffing like mad.

The lower part of the house was beautiful and spacious, with comfortable furniture and an open floor plan. There were even a few neglected houseplants scattered throughout the living space. Pictures adorned the walls. A well to do family beamed at her from the frames. A handsome older man, a lovely middle aged woman and a stunning teenage girl completed this version of the American dream. Most of the pictures were of this teenage girl. Her long blond hair appeared natural as she cast big blue eyes at the photographer smiling sweetly. There were photos of her at a formal dance, in volleyball uniform and posed professionally. In the volleyball picture the name Hayley was barely visible in the right corner of the photo. Hayley looked to be a sweet and athletic teenager. But the picture that really caught her eye threw her off completely. In a photo of the whole volleyball team, two coaches could be seen. A fat balding man and… Vincent?

Well, Vincent pre infection anyway. The face of Brennen Evans grinned out. He wore track pants and a t-shirt accented by the whistle around his neck. So he had been a teacher and a coach? Interesting. It wasn't too big a coincidence. This town was small and if he worked in the school most if not all the teenagers would know him. Still, for the small hunter to bring her to this house, it seemed odd. Had she known these people too? Perhaps she had even been the cause of their demise? This infection had done awful things. Look at the devastation this had caused just these few people. Estelle fussing on her back brought her back to reality. As she spooned some strained sweet potatoes from the jar into Estelle's mouth she tried to relax and listen. But her thoughts wouldn't let her alone.

After a quick dinner, she and Estelle headed back up to the room they had entered. The hunter hadn't moved an inch. She paused. If this was a teenage girl's room then maybe there were some clothes she could fit into. She opened the closet and was disappointed. These were all too small. They would fit the small hunter though so she would grab some. As she rifled through through the closet she realized that all this stuff would fit the small hunter perfectly. Even the shoes. Was it possible? Was it possible the small beast that had been living with her like a dog was the vibrant young woman in all the pictures she had been admiring?


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Violet looked closely at the small hunter by the window. A shimmer of blond hair could be seen peeking from underneath the hood of her sweatshirt. Hayley was blond. But there must have been plenty of blond teenagers in this town. And there certainly had to be plenty that would fit this teenage girls shoes and clothing perfectly. Right? Okay so maybe the odds were low but to think the small hunter had returned to her pre infection home to nest? That would imply she had some sort of memory from her previous life. That would mean the infection was diverse in its effects and it was very well possible violet had murdered a cognitive person in the previous months.

Violet continued to go through the closet, not really sure what she was looking for. A shoe box fell on her head and made her smile. Hayley kept her letters in a shoebox? How cute. Out of sheer boredom Violet started to read.

_Babe,_

_I don't care what people think. We were meant for each other. I knew the day I looked into your beautiful eyes. I'm so torn because I know loving you will be seen as wrong and I hate the idea of hurting Ellie but that can't really be helped. Hayley you're my soul mate and every minute I spend away from you is torture. I know we haven't even kissed yet but I can't wait until Saturday. Taking you into my arms and holding you all night is my dream come true. Until then my perfect angel _

_3 B._

Violet shook her head. Teenagers were so melodramatic. Hayley had quite a sap for a boyfriend. And it looked like she was also the other woman. Ellies man was stepping out on her. Hayley you little slut. Violet laughed as the hunter made an agitated noise in her throat. Violet laid Estelle on the bed and settled her in with a bottle of juice. She was confident Estelle would sleep very well. She had a very long day.

Picking up her flashlight, Violet started to read the next letter in the bunch. This one appeared to take place after the anticipated Saturday. This mysterious B was a real sap. He spent paragraph after paragraph describing how blissful it was to hold her perfect bod and smell her perfect hair and kiss her perfect lips and listen to her perfect voice. Good grief this guy was too much. What a freak. What really interested her was a letter near the bottom. Sappy King B got angry at Hayley and wrote her a scathing letter sounding more like an agitated teacher than a boyfriend. Apparently Hayley had been too bold in public and he was concerned the evil ellie would discover everything and his life would be ruined. 

The human was sitting on the floor looking at papers. For some reason she didn't like those paper. A low growl formed In the back of her throat. Those papers were bad. She wasn't sure why but those papers made her feel uneasy. The human seemed engrossed in them so she paced back to the window. The familiar smell met her nose and she relaxed. Soon. She had been concerned but things would be right soon.

Violet read the letters and was fairly uniterested until near the end of the stack of letters. Apparently there had been a pregnancy scare and Hayley had been told to be mature. Another letter was so scolding it sounded pretty harsh. The next letter surprised violet. In it was stated that he was married and he couldn't be at her beck and call she needed to stop acting like a child. He was married? My oh my Miss Hayley was a home wrecker? Nice. She stopped dead when she read the end of the letter. It was the usual declaration of love blah blah blah. But the letter was signed "Brennen"

No way. No freakin way! Now the coincidences were getting to be eerie. Vincent and the small one had not only known each other pre infection but they'd been committing adultery together? Really? In a way it was romantic. Even a life altering event like a zombie apocalypse couldn't keep their creepy statutory love apart. They found each other after a strain of rabies ravaged their brains and turned them into flesh eating creatures of nightmares. Yep a classic romeo and Juliet type love story right there.

She had resigned that the small hunter hanging out the window was indeed Hayley. Hayley was very restless. Violet wondered what was bothering her. She mus really miss Vincent. He was all she had. Well, now she had her and Estelle. What a strange family they were. But in this chaotic mess of a world, it was ice to be part of something.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Violet fell asleep while Hayley watched out the window. She and Estelle both slept very soundly and didn't awaken until midmorning the next day. She managed a nice languid stretch before she got her bearings and the previous night's memories flooded her mind. Her sanctuary had been destroyed by something that had to have been enormous. She sincerely hoped that it had left the area because she was terrified of anything that could do that kind of damage. She also noticed Hayley was agitated with Estelle who had latched on to her hair. Violet pried the chubby little fingers off the troubled hunter and curled her nose. The ungodly stink of zombie was stronger than she had ever smelled. What had Hayley done in the nigh to make her reek so? She looked fairly clean.

Their human let out an unearthly shriek and moved with enviable speed as she snatched her cub up and readied her weapon. She tilted her head to the side and scanned the room. There were no threats nearby. Why was the human disturbed? Perhaps the new location threw her off. She hated moving dens. Maybe the human did too.

Violet stared in horror as another hunter rose from the bed. What horrified her even more was that this hunter was a true zombie. Risen from the dead crouched a tired looking Vincent. He looked almost as horrible as he smelled. Being dead must have a way of bringing you down. His head lolled to and fro as he tried to peer at her. He collapsed on the bed and Violet surprised herself by reaching out as if she wanted to steady him or soften the short fall from the bed to the floor. Then another realization hit her. He must have slept next to them the whole night. He obviously hadn't mauled them to death so maybe he remembered her. The million thoughts running through her head ceased when Hayley graceful leapt down to where Vincent had fallen and nuzzled his cheek. This was Vincent. Alive and almost well. Somehow.

Violet stared in wonder at the man before her. He had managed to survive a gunshot, being sealed in a mausoleum and had found his way back to the mate who had loved him through an entire apocalypse. He was one determined zombie. As she plopped out two cans of spam onto the floor for the hunters and fed Estelle some delicious pears and cereal her mind began to wander. These hunters were two perfect examples of intelligent zombie life. Would there even be a society left to come up with a cure for this illness? A vaccine maybe? Maybe the zombies that showed signs of intelligence could go through some sort of intense behavioral training and therapy and be reintegrated into society. Well there would have to be a society and some scientists and probably some brave therapists first.

Vincent ate slowly, and it looked like it might pain him. Violet waaited until he was done to approach him. He looked horrible. Dirty and covered in god knows what. He needed a bath, and while he was too weak to fight her was the best time to do it. Placing estelle on the bed with the contented female hunter, violet ambushed the alarmed Vincent.

She moved quickly and scooped him up. He was way too light. He was alive but barely. He managed an outraged snarl but was too weak to act upon his pitiful threat. Hayley lifted her head and watched interestedly but made no move to leave the bed. She simply rolled Estelle over playfully when she wriggled too close to her hair. The infant was captivated the the silvery blond curtain that cascaded around the hner when she pulled her hood down.

As she carried Vincent into the bathroom he began to make sad little whimpers. It almost sounded like he was pleading. She was scaring him, she realized. She reassured him gently, speaking in low soothing sounds. His terror increased as she started to undress him. She realized she had forgotten to check the master bedroom for some mens clothing. Vincent would be naked for a while. But he would be doing better naked than in the clothes he had. There was more dirt and dried blood than there was cloth.

Once she got him undressed she started to run the bath before examining him. Like she had guessed he was far too thin, his ribs and hip bones prominent on display. He also had an infection in the area he had been shot. It looked pretty bad. She sucked in a tight breath and wondered if the antibiotics she had would be enough to help him. He was also covered in slashes, some of them looking really fresh. Her eyes widened when she realized the other infected must have attacked him. Maybe they really were starting to cannibalize each other.

She placed him in the luke warm water and he whimpered his objections. As gently as she could she used a wash cloth to wipe away the grime. The water was filthy within seconds. So much so she had to let it out and rerun more water. She laughed outright as a frustrated Hayley carried a squirming Estelle in by her onesie. They sat and watched as Violet washed the filth off Vincent. He grumbled but didn't whimper anymore. Violet took this as a sign he was enjoying his cleanliness.

Vincent snarled unhappily as violet scrubbed too hard on his infection. She, in turn, wanted to vomit as she watched pus and blood pour from the open wound. She realized with disgust that she was going to have to drain all these infections out. Vincent was going to hate this. But she set to work doing this and every time he yowled in pain Estelle and Hayley made a responding displeased noise. Violet couldn't help but laugh. Estelle had been accepted as a member of the family and played the part well.

She was done with the most repulsive task she had undertaken, so she washed him off one last time before carefully towel drying his uninjured areas and patting his wounds dry gently. She rummaged through the medicine cabinent before finding gauze and Neosporin. She applied the topical antiseptic and ended up wrapping the entire ssupply of gauze around his torso and arms. This was one beat up zombie. She decided that with his evening can of corned beef she would slip a few antibiotic caplets in, to help with the healing process. She would have to check her bag and the other bathroom for more gauze. These wounds would definitely require a lot of changing bandages.

Now that he was all bandaged up, violet carried his naked form to the bedroom. She laid him on the bed and watched as he fell asleep almost immediately. Poor guy was so weak. She went to the master bedroom and was excited to see boxers, sweatpants and an old oversized blue sweatshirt embellished with a large yellow M. grabbing a black tshirt she returned to the room with her findings. Vincent didn't even wake up as she dressed him. In fact, he didn't wake up until his mate yowled in his earwhen Violet served them lunch. Hayley got two cans of tuna and Vincent got a special mix of canned chicken, tuna and a can of mixed vegetables. He needed his nutrients. Estelle had sweet potatoes and peaches for dessert, while Violet opted for a can of ravioli. She was pleased to see everyone had eaten all their food, including the pills she had hid in vincents food. He would heal up nicely. She even managed to not feel ridiculous about being the only human being alive who spent her time and valuable supplies on nursing a zombie back to health.


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Violet felt endlessly more comfortable once she moved a heavy wardrobe in front of the breached window. This house wasn't as well fortified as her sanctuary had been but it was solid. No other infected head breached anywhere except the bedroom window. She was willing to hazard a guess that the window was a feat exclusive to the hunters, as the other infected weren't as agile. But she really didn't need a flock of hunters after her small family. Estelle was still fairly immobile and Vincent was weak. She knew his name, but it didn't seem to suit him. Although, she had no trouble calling Hayley by her name. In fact, she seemed pleased by it. Violet was starting to observe Hayley closer than she had ever observed Vincent.

Hayley was strange. Violet knew this. She wasn't aggressive like the other hunters, and she wasn't picky about what she ate. She enjoyed a variety of canned foods, and crackers. Cheetos were here favorite snack, and she demolished them at a rapid rate. She made no attempt to verbalize with Violet aside from the whines, snarls and yelps Estelle and Violet had grown accustomed to. But when she slept, Violet watched her have nightmares. Horrible, tremor inducing nightmares, where she could clearly be heard whimpering words. English, distinctive words that chilled Violet to the bone. The same phrase kept popping up. "No mama please comes back"

Any attempt to get Hayley to talk in the waking hours left her with an uneasy blank stare from the hunter and lots of questions. Violet was once again reminded, these were people. They were mutated and deformed by a disease that had ravaged their bodies, but when it came down to it, they were just sick people. Vincent never talked, asleep or not. He spent most of his time sleeping, the rest eating. His recovery was much faster than a normal person; she assumed the infection must have brought on that unexpected benefit. But the truth was, he was very hurt and needed time to heal, along with good care.

If she could get Hayley to stop trying to lick him every two minutes, progress might be more rapid. She had taken on many doglike habits, including being very possessive of the infant that seemed to plague her with constant affections. One day Vincent rolled too close the Estelle while she was napping next to Hayley and before Violet could bat an eye, Hayley threw Vincent across the room. He awoke with a startled snarl. He seemed rather confused as he crawled back up onto the bed. He heeded the warning he got and kept his distance.

Violet opened the cupboard and was dismayed. There weren't really any medical supplies left; Vincent was using them at such a rapid rate. She was going to have to venture out to get more, but she was very wary, as the last time she had gone out, she came back to a demolished home. She knew this place wouldn't keep them safe forever, and they would have to move on. But for now she was going to hole up and let Vincent get better. She dreaded having to travel with an infant; she knew it was going to be dangerous. She had heard about fortified rooms CEDA had set up, but she was uneasy about chasing after some "safe room" that may or may not be there.

For now, she would be going to the store. While she trusted Hayley not to eat Estelle, she didn't feel hoards. She had come to expect very few common infected. From the looks of things, the infected had started to cannibalize each other. She hadn't seen another survivor in weeks. So when she heard blood curdling screams she was thrown off. Against her better judgment she, she moved towards the sounds of the screams. She quickly assessed what she knew. It had been about thirty five seconds since she had heard the scream. The scream had seemed to come from inside the hardware store. The scream sounded human, and was likely to belong to a deceased human now. Maybe this human had supplies she could scavenge. As bad as that sounded, Violet wasn't about picking useful items, such as food, water, weapons or medical supplies off a corpse. It's not like they needed it anymore.

She got near the hardware and ducked around the corner when she heard movement. Hidden in the shadows, Violet observed a group of three men moving away rapidly. So there was a few stragglers like herself. She turned to go when a nagging voice in her head insisted she go into the hardware store anyways. Maybe it was because she needed some supplies and wanted to see what hadn't been looted from the store. Or maybe it was because she wanted to know why the men had moved on so quickly. Violet didn't want to admit that it was because she didn't think any of those men had made such a high pitched wail.

She entered the store slowly, very watchful and alert, wishing she had brought Hayley with her. She was stuffed her pillow sack with bags of potato chips. She also found power bars, a partial package of bottled waters and a box of deadbolts. They were four dollars a piece, but she would have to put it on her tab. As she quietly chuckled to herself, she very nearly missed a very quiet shuffling. She froze and readied her handgun. Whatever was approaching was trying to be stealthy and that immediately made it a threat. She swiftly rounded the corner and scared the ever living daylights out of…

A bloody grimy teenage boy? He visibly trembled as she lowered her gun. She stared at him blankly for a few moments before saying "Hi. Im Violet. Im going to the store. Would you like to come with me?" He was shaking like a leaf and clung to a small hammer as he nodded yes. He didn't look too injured as he followed her quickly through the streets. Thankfully, there wasn't an infected to be seen, just rotting corpses all around.

By now she knew the store well and was dismayed to find that it had been heavily looted. She had to search far and wide for the medical supplies she needed. She looked around for the boy but she couldn't find him, agitated she prepared to leave. Then she heard a crinkling noise. She paused and went to investigate. The boy was in the snack aisle shoveling in crackers at an impressive speed. He noticed her and followed her submissively, but didn't relinquish his hold on the crackers. He seemed half starved.

They arrived to the house and Violet showed him the cellar door they had to go through to get into the basement. He followed as quickly as he could, nearly treading on her heels. As they got to the basement door she turned to him and said "Okay I know youre scared, but when I open this door theres going to be something in there that may frighten you. Please don't scream."


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The boy stared at her with obvious unease before agreeing that he wouldn't scream. She imagined that was because he didn't really have a choice. She opened the door and entered the house. As usual Hayley was there to greet her within moments. She heard the boy inhale sharply, but he obeyed their agreement and didn't scream. He did, however, cower behind her and begin to breathe rapidly. She reached out a hand to comfort him and he clutched it desperately. He was terrified.

The human was home and had brought a stranger! Her nose was overwhelmed with all the new smells and her ears were ringing with the new noises the stranger made. It breathed heavily, appeared to be human and she could smell the fear coming off it in waves. Perhaps it was scared of the human, she had a weapon and it had none. She knew her mate would smell the stranger soon. She hoped he wouldn't get up to investigate. He needed to rest. She approached the stranger happily and was surprised to see him flinch away. She was not threatening him. She was being very nice. She snorted irritably. Odd humans. She stalked away grumbling irritably.

Violet led the boy to the living room and sat him on the couch. His eyes darted around wildly, obviously trying to gauge if she was going to feed him to her pet hunters. She decided perhaps now was the time to explain. She got him a bottle of water and calmly explained that Hayley and Vincent were both hunters that were cognitive and very passive. She told him about Vincent being hurt and about the house having been Hayley's home pre infection. He didn't say anything throughout her entire explanation but he did seem to relax, just a tiny bit.

She decided she wanted to know more about this boy. She started firing questions at him until he held up his hand to stop her.

"My name is Liam. I'm seventeen and I have traveled all the way from Tampa Florida. I'm on my way to Canada, where they say there's no infection. I'm pretty sure I'm immune since, I was bitten two weeks ago and nothing happened. I was in the hardware store looking for supplies, just passing through when three guys jumped me, hit me in the head with my own gun and stole all my supplies. They left me for dead. Without food water and a weapon I wouldn't last long. I'm lucky you found me when you did. You know they took my money? Those assholes emptied my wallet like they thought that shit was going to matter anymore. They even took my debit card. Who do they think money is going to matter to? We are all getting attacked by freakin zombies. Nobody gives a shit."

Violet assessed this kid. He was tall, maybe six foot, thin, with hair she thought might be dirty blond underneath the grime. His cheeks were hallowed out and he looked pretty bad. He needed a shower and a meal. She suggested he go take a shower, then she would look at the wound on his head. It looked pretty nasty. She told him she would find him some clean clothes. He thanked her and headed to the upstairs bathroom.

She went to the master bedroom and dug around for clothes that would fit Liam. She found a pair of black and white plaid pajama pants that had a drawstring in the front, so he would be able to wear them without them falling off his skinny frame. She also found a plain black t shirt that would be a little big on him but guys liked that right? She also found a plain pair of socks and a pair of boxers. When she heard the shower go off she waited a few minutes before rapping on the door.

"Liam give me your dirty clothes, I will wash them out in the sink and see if we can salvage them for later."

He cracked the door and thrust out the pile of dirty clothes. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. She instructed him to wrap himself up so she could come in. she set his dirty clothes down and walked in. a less disciplined person would have openly cringed. This kid looked like he had been hit by a bus. He was covered in welts, scratches and bruises. He was way too thin to be healthy and she saw the bite he had referred to earlier. It looked infected, inflamed on his shoulder, near his neck. She knew it was going to need to be be drained. She couldn't believe she would have to do that again.

She told him she was going to drain his bite and he cringed. She assured him she wasn't really looking forward to it either. To his credit, during the process of drainage, he didn't complain at all. She put some antiseptic on the wound on his head. It wasn't so bad as to require stitches or anything, for which he was grateful. She had a feeling that it may be out of her medical abilities to sew somebody up. She gave him a once over and caught herself smiling. With some meat on his bones he would be a pretty good looking kid. His brown eyes must have captivated the girls in his school.

She left him to get dressed so she could change Estelle, who had been tormenting a sore Vincent. Once Estelle was changed Violet started to get dinner around. She heated up a family size can of beef stew for her and Liam, and got out three cans of spam for the hunters. Estelle was having some yummy mashed carrots and a bottle of formula with cereal in it. She felt strange moving around the kitchen. She had never been very domestic. She generally went out to eat or grabbed a muffin from a local coffee shop. But here she was, acting like a housewife, mom to a kid that wasn't hers, two zombies and a random teenager. Life was strange.

Liam entered the roomed and sighed happily when he saw she had warm food. He told her he hadn't had a hot meal since the infection had broken out. He ate stew with gusto, and ended up finishing off the rest of the can and half of Violets bowl. She smiled as he thanked her with such enthusiasm that he made Estelle laugh as she ate. She laughed outright when carrots shot out the amused infants nose and the hunter who had been begging at her feet jumped back in disgust as she was splattered with mashed orange goop.

She cleaned up the kitchen and told Liam she and Estelle were headed to bed. She was asleep for about two hours before Liam shook her awake gently. She sat up quickly and asked what was wrong. He assured her everything was okay and she glowered out at him from under the covers. He looked sheepish and stooped over. He avoided her gaze before looking up quickly and making eye contact.

"Violet Im scared, im sorry. Im not a pussy or anything Im just really freaked out. Can I sleep on your floor?"

Violet sighed and shook her head no.

"Look kid, Im warning you now, if you get touchy feely I will break your neck. But Im sure as hell not letting you sleep on the floor. Just stay on your side of the bed."

She moved over and he crawled in with her. Now her crazy circus was complete. A baby, a con artist, a teenager, a zombie cheerleader, and a zombie teacher all in one king size bed, living through the apocalypse. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but it was sure to be interesting.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Violet awoke to a lanky body wrapped around hers. For a few brief moments she nuzzled into the embrace happily before remember exactly who she was snuggling. Her eyes flew open as she took in the scene. Hunters and Estelle all sleeping in a jumbled dog pile of limbs. Liam was fast asleep wrapped around her, clinging to the safety he seemed to think she provided. She carefully unwrapped herself from the embrace, doing her best to let them sleep a little bit longer. As soon as her feet hit the floor all four of her companions awoke with a start. She grumbled irritably, no alone time, no privacy.

She led the strange menagerie to the kitchen for the morning meal and was dismayed to find the hot water had stopped working. She knew it would eventually but she hadn't really prepared herself for it. She was pleased that she could still heat water on the stove to bathe Estelle at least. She didn't think the baby would take too kindly to cold baths. As she readied a can of corned beef hash for Liam and her, Liam wandered away, to explore the house she presumed.

She fed Estelle a fantastic breakfast of formula and cereal, while the hunters enjoyed three cans of tuna. She also mixed in a can of peas, because she was slowly starting to wean them from meat. The canned meat was starting to become scarce in the store and she didn't think a sudden switch would work.

Liam entered the kitchen with a grin. He walked over to the sink and turned it on. To her surprise, Violet saw steam start to rise. The hot water had somehow returned. The grin on Liam's face seemed to implicate this was his doing. He offered no explanation so she finally snapped "well?"

He smiled. "What?"

"How did you fix the water?" She seethed, irritated with his smug display.

"Oh that? I relit the pilot light. Sometimes a problem is fixable, and not due to the zombie apocalypse." He retorted. She just stared at him. Did that little shit just get smug with her?

They ate in silence until he asked "Do you know what the date is? I think my birthday is soon."

She raised an eyebrow. "September 29"

He cursed loudly and whooped, throwing Violet, Estelle and Vincent off. Only Hayley seemed unfazed by his outburst.

"Yesterday was my eighteenth birthday! I'm an adult! I can vote! Wahoooooo!" he said sarcastically.

Violet just shushed him and asked if he wanted every damn zombie in the county to know where they were. He grinned sheepishly and started asking questions. Violet answered for a few minutes until she grew weary of his endless questions and shooed him upstairs to lay Estelle down for her nap. While he was attending to Estelle, she busied herself with checking on Vincent and his progress.

He was doing much better and seemed restless. He was also in a foul mood when Violet swatted him for trying to mount Hayley in the kitchen, calling him names and asking if he was a damn dog. Perverted zombies. She was really disturbed that was part of the zombie way of life. She was also concerned if that meant there would be little zombielettes. God nature was weird. She realized Liam had been upstairs for a while so she should probably make sure everything was okay.

She headed up the stairs and paused when she heard a delighted infant laughing hysterically. She came in and saw Liam lying flat on his back tossing the baby up in the air and catching her, causing her to go into hysterics. She watched the odd pair and was alarmed at the warm feeling in her chest. Seeing them like this made her feel… happy? He noticed her and called her over.

"Play with us Miss Violet! Little Lady over here isn't ready for a nap!"

She refused stiffly. She didn't like all these new emotions, and she was already starting to get way too attached to Liam. These emotions were stupid. She was sharing supplies when she certainly couldn't afford it. She had Estelle to worry about, and a sick hunter that needed attention. She should have left this kid to die. He didn't mean anything to her, he wasn't her concern. He was just eating up her and Estelle's valuable supplies. She needed to get rid of him. Now that he knew how to get in her house, she couldn't just make him leave. She might have to kill him. She could do that. She had killed hundreds of zombies, what was one scrawny kid?

The human seemed agitated. She was too. Her mate wasn't giving her the attention she wanted, and when he did try the human had been displeased. Now he wouldn't try again. She watched as the human paced around looking grim. Perhaps the human's new mate wasn't attending to her either. She knew he wanted to, all males wanted to. The males in this house were strange. She was pleased that she and her human were dominant. Being the alphas was good. But the attention of the male was good. Perhaps they needed to be alone. Her mate used to prefer being alone during those times.

Liam came downstairs and smiled at Violet. She just stared back.

"You know" he said "I never thanked you for everything you've done for me. I'm pretty sure I would be dead if you hadn't taken me in. you're like my guardian angel"

Violet was horrified to feel herself blush. She dismissed his thanks. All thoughts of killing him left her mind as she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. Pride. She had saved another person and it wasn't just for her advantage. She committed a selfless act. Her therapist would be delighted.

The rest of the day went by without incident. When it was time for bed the hunters made their way into Hayley's old bedroom and Violet wrinkled her nose at the idea that the couple wanted privacy. Estelle fell asleep in the master bedroom almost immediately. She wasn't feeling very tired and Liam asked if she minded some company. They stayed up late into the night talking about how Violet had come to be the guardian of a child and two pacifist hunters. Violet learned that Liam had lived with his mom before the infection, and that she had become infected at the local doctors office after one of her patients had bitten her. She had tried to quarantine herself but she had burst out of the basement and tried to attack him. He had to decapitate his own mother with a meat cleaver. He had driven as far as he could until his car wouldn't go any further. Then he kept heading north on foot.

As they climbed the stairs to the master bedroom, he continued to tell her about his journey. He had spent the entire trip alone, fearing that any companions would slow him down or double cross him. He said he was grateful he had found her because he knew with her, in this house, he didn't have to worry every minute.

They crawled into bed and he instantly wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened before accepting the embrace. The kid was probably just scared; a little human contact would help him out. As she drifted to sleep he continued to talk to her softly. Right before she fell asleep he started whispering so softly she almost couldn't hear him. "The worst part of this whole mess was feeling so alone. But I'm not alone now. I have you. Thank god. I have you." As he went quiet, she felt him brush a soft kiss over her forehead. Her eyes flew open and she shoved him away. The look on his face was a mixture of fear and sadness, as her eyes searched his.

The relief on his face was evident when she brought her lips to his. She kissed him fiercely, yet gently as they lay there. She curled up to him and held him close, loving the feel of his arms encircling her waist. She had almost forgotten what it was like to kiss a man. Violet felt her old self die completely after that kiss. And as Liam stroked her hair she realized she didn't mourn the loss.


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

_**I haven't really said much throughout this whole story but I needed to take the time to say thank you. Reading your reviews makes my day, especially hearing how people are recommending this story to their friends, and I want to say a special thank you to BloodyRaptor for making me SQUEEEEEE. It's nice to know I have loyal readers. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and everyone, who is reading. Now sit back and enjoy the show!**_

Violets life was good. The number of infected was dwindling, they were simply turning on each other, because they had no alternative food source. The specials seemed to have all moved on, making where her strange family lived, a fairly safe place to be.

What a family it was too! The hunters were doing better, hygiene aiding Vincent's recovery incredibly well. Estelle was thriving, chubby and happy. The haunted look in Liam's eyes was fading every day. He seemed to be coming to terms with the fact that he was going to survive this. Hayley was as hyper as ever and Vincent was returning to his old self. Violet was amused at how stuffy her friend was. He seemed to be struggling with the new family dynamic, and Hayley seemed to be an endless source of frustration for him. To Violet it seemed that she aggravated him on purpose, enjoying the irritated snarls and mumbles he made as she toyed with him.

Violet was a new person, and she didn't mind that. Glimpses of her old self could be seen, but they were rare, and generally only under pressure did the coldness make its way to the surface. Liam trailed around after her, smitten with every little thing she did. She knew this strange phase would pass and she was looking forward to it. Companionship was one thing, but smothering was another. She sought out Vincent's company often, as the injured hunter seemed to make Liam uneasy and she could gain some breathing room in his company. Her old friend seemed to enjoy her company as well. Two grumpy loners taking solace in the quiet each granted the other.

His mate was driving him insane. She seemed to think that his injuries had promoted her to Alpha and his patience was wearing thin with her antics. He may have been injured but he was still the male! His human had found a mate of her own. He didn't care for him. He smelled of fear too often, and made too much noise, tromping around heavily after his human. Everywhere she went, all he heard was THUD THUD THUD of his heavy boots following her small almost silent footsteps. He could sense his human thought so too, she seemed to come visit him more often and she often smelled… odd. Almost like anger, but close to frustration, if her irritated hisses of breath were any indication. He didn't understand. Why didn't she shoo him away and find a new mate? Perhaps it was his job? Yes that must be it! He is the male. She was one of his packs females. Of course it was his job to shoo intruders away. His pains must be clouding his mind! His duty was clear.

Violet watched, amused, as Vincent seemed deep in thought, grumbling and moving his clawed hands from side to side. He was growing tired of being stuck inside. As was she. Perhaps it was time she and Vincent took a trip to the store, just the two of them. Liam and Hayley could watch Estelle, as Liam was fairly comfortable with Hayley. She watched as Vincent stretched his sore muscles and jumped off the bed. It was time for him to walk about apparently.

He was on a mission. He would drive the other male from their den! Upset his females would he? Come into his den and make noise enough to drive someone insane? He would show this interloper who was alpha! He stretched one last time and found his opponent in the kitchen standing there drinking water. It brought a snarl to his lips. How dare he? He came onto HIS territory, upset his females, and drank HIS water and he didn't even have the decency to at least attempt to look subservient? He would tear the fear into this trespassing whelp!

Violet took the stairs three at a time when she heard Liam scream her name. She burst into the kitchen with a shotgun drawn and a pistol at her hip. She wasn't prepared for what she saw, and would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. Liam was holding a kitchen chair between himself and a snarling Vincent, who was trying his damndest to make contact with his claws. He was snarling and hissing and screaming like an animal as he snapped his jaws wildly. She took a moment to collect herself before commanding Vincent to stop what he was doing. She was alarmed when he didn't even acknowledge her presence. She stepped forward and gave him a hard swat on the back of his head and he turned the snarl towards her for a brief moment. That moment was all it took for Violet to smash the butt of her shotgun to his face, rendering him unconscious. Hayley whimpered unhappily in the corner, but didn't move from her place in the corner.

Violet peered sadly at the form in front of her. What had gotten into him? He had been anything but aggressive with her before, why had he attacked Liam? She scooped him up and headed upstairs to Hayley's room. She laid him gently on the bed, taking care to cover him up before she went to speak with Liam.

"What in the hell did you do to him?!" Flew out of her mouth before she could articulate a less accusatory inquiry.

Liam visibly flinched under her hard stare and harsh words. "I honestly didn't do anything! I was just standing here and he started growling at me, showing his teeth and shit. So I got the first thing I could reach between us, and yelled for you. Jesus Christ Vi, he's the damn monster and you ask me what I did to him? He could have killed me!"

"He isn't a monster! He's just sick and that's not his fault! He has never hurt anyone. He's hurt himself! You must have upset him! Or threatened him. Did you get too close to Hayley? Maybe he felt threatened. He's not a monster." She felt frantic. Her friend couldn't be a monster. He had never acted this way. He had never been aggressive. In fact, he had protected their little family. What made Liam different?

Then it dawned on her. Liam was different in the most basic way. He was a man. Violet wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. The zombie she let live in her house was being possessive because another male was in her life. Liam watched her and felt strange as she explained her theory to him. He went quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"Vi, I didn't realize I was actually in the running. I've been waiting for a sign from you since we kissed that night. You seem to be avoiding me. You keep to your side of the bed, and push me away. Now your zombie tries to eat me, and you yell at me. You don't make sense. I thought you wanted something more but I'm starting to feel like you don't want me here at all."

Violet stared at him in amazement, frozen with uncertainty. She opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again. How could he not know? She had thought she had made it very clear that she liked him, but here he was staring at her, his eyes filled with hurt. She frowned. She was no good at communication when she was being honest. She wasn't prepared for this conversation. What was she supposed to say? Of course she liked him; of course she wanted him here. But how could she say that. She still couldn't formulate a thought as a stony look crossed his face and he nodded curtly. The word "wait" tried to make is way from her lips as she watched him gather supplies. She tried to beg him to stay as he headed out the door but the words caught in her throat as she struggled to control the sob that was threatening to come out. Why was he leaving? Where was he going? Was he coming back?

"Please don't leave" slipped out quietly, almost as quietly as the tear that slid down her cheek.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

He awoke to a terrible pain in his head, and a rather tender nose. Had the other male been chased away? Had the other male attacked him? Why did his head hurt so badly? Then he remembered. His human had come to the aid of her mate and hit him with her weapon. He groaned. He had clearly misjudged her feelings. He made his way downstairs and was immediately hit by the stench of sadness. He wasn't sure why he hadn't smelled it before. He could even smell the salty tears. The human was sitting on the floor cradling her cub as she fed it, looking forlorn. His mate lay in the corner and watched him silently from under her coverings. She seemed blank, maybe a little uneasy. He made a low grumble to draw attention to himself.

Violet looked up as she heard Vincent. He was surveying the scene in front of him with an uneasy stance. She greeted him sadly and he approached her, lying docilely next to her. She wasn't that good with zombie body language but he seemed contrite. She couldn't blame him. As intelligent as he was for a zombie, he was still pretty limited. She knew she was really the one to blame. Why hadn't she said anything? What was the matter with her? She wasn't some love-struck twit. She had a tongue of silver. Right?

She knew it wasn't true. She was definitely a love struck twit and now she was a heartbroken twit. She had to go find him! She needed him! And she wasn't going to rest until she told him! He may not care, but she at least wanted him safe. She started to gather weapons and supplies and stared sadly at Estelle's sleeping form. She knew she was risking a lot but the nagging voice in her head wouldn't let this go. So she strapped the baby onto her back and headed out into the night, looking for a guy, not really knowing where she was headed. She was mildly amused. If the world hadn't gone to hell she would probably get a hallmark channel special about her epic journey to find true love.

She didn't encounter any infected as she made her way through the empty streets, save for the two hunters running amuck, sniffing every damn thing they came across, including dismantled corpses, making Violet curl her nose up in disgust. Then she heard a strange noise, it sounded like footsteps. Fast footsteps, running behind her. She whipped around and her heart dropped as she saw eleven or twelve infected running at her full speed. She got ready to bash the hell out of them with her sledgehammer when every single one of them made and abrupt turn down a side street. They hadn't even bothered with her, and that scared Violet all the more.

The hunters had both frozen, crouched in the middle of the street, obviously scenting the air. Hayley grumbled and snarled before racing after the hoard at an alarming speed. Vincent hesitated for a brief moment before following suit. Violet didn't even have to think. She followed his long strides, worried but not allowing herself to think of why a hoard and specials alike could be running to the same place. Because if she started to think about it, her mind always came to the same conclusion. Someone was going to get eaten, and that someone was likely Liam.

She had almost caught up to a few of the hoard members when a small explosion rocked the street, blood and zombie parts were thrown everywhere, along with a strange, disgusting smelling green liquid. A few commons were thrown back from the explosion and she saw a severed lower half of a very bloated infected. She had never seen anything like it, nor had she smelled anything like it. The smell seemed to be driving the infected, including Hayley and Vincent, absolutely wild. As she smashed her way through the infected, her fears were confirmed. Liam was on the ground, getting torn up by the infected. Violet swung her sledgehammer wildly, fighting like mad to get the infected away from him. The hunters seemed to snap out of the stupor and started dispatching the infected around them, tearing through the hoard easily.

Violet screamed in pain as a common infected bit down on her wrist, tearing through her skin. Hayley ripped it off of her and slashed its throat. Violet didn't concern herself with that as she fought to get Liam up. He was pretty tore up, but he was alive, and once she got him home she knew she could patch him back up. She all but carried him home, and dragged him up the stairs to the bed. She noticed he was covered in the unpleasant smelling green liquid; these clothes would have to be thrown out. She carefully removed all his clothing, and pulled a blanket up to cover his lower body, trying to protect his modesty. She set to work cleaning him up, and putting some antiseptic on the wounds before she bandaged them up. He was pretty torn up but he would heal. He was asleep, and she watched him with a ridiculous amount of relief.

She would have liked to stay by his side but she had Estelle who desperately needed a bath. She bathed Estelle, fed her and headed upstairs. She felt awfully tired, and the bite on her wrist was throbbing. It seemed so warm. Was it always this hot? It seemed very hot. She curled up in the bed, careful to lie on top of the covers, so Liam wouldn't think she was some sort of a pervert when he woke up. Estelle was asleep almost immediately, and she gratefully followed soon after, wishing it weren't so hot, wishing her wrist didn't hurt so much and wishing her head didn't feel so heavy. She struggled to roll over to speak to Liam but her body was too close to sleep. She slipped into sleep, her body grateful for the relief.


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Violet had fitful dreams that night. God it was sweltering! She dreamed of Estelle, solemn as ever, Vincent pacing around her. She thought she heard Liam but she couldn't move so it must be one of those dreams that the world didn't work quite right.

She wished someone would turn off the lights. The glare was making her head pound. She wished for water. Begged for ice, wailed for anything to soothe this furnace she had once called her body. She was tired. There would be time to take a cool shower after her nap.

The human was not well. She radiated heat and thrashed around her bed wildly. Her mate was sad. She watched him crouch and fold his hands by her side, speaking to the sky. His behavior was strange, but he and the cub were both sad. She did her best to teach the cub but the cub wasn't even old enough to pounce yet.

The male human brought more food to his sick mate. He always brought small white rattley food and warm liquid that smelled like meat. She thought it was stupid that he made his mate eat the small white food with water and forced it down her throat. If she didn't want to eat then why did he force it on her? It was improper and disrespectful of their bond. Stupid rude humans. Thank goodness the cub had her.

The cub was growing well. She growled well, and could roll and sit up. She could even make human noises! She was a smart cub and she delighted in her. Her mate even took notice of the cub and even played with them when he wasnt too tired.

She watched the male human pace restlessly. He was worried, and so was her mate. There was another human male close by. They could smell him. She didn't know what it was doing there, and as she watched the male human let her mate outside, she growled unhappily. No good ever came of lingering outsiders. With one very ill pack member and the other still very weak, the pack wasn't ready to face an attack. She debated taking the cub into a new, uncompromised den but quickly dismissed the idea. No human would drive them from their home without a fight!

He knew the human was close. It reeked of sweat, blood and death. He crept up slowly, knowing that alerting the object of his attentions could be a fatal finally came into his view, and appeared to be resting. It looked similar to his humans mate. Tall, with fair fur on its head, not as pale as his mates, but much lighter than his own hair. He didn't have as much as Little One either. He seemed to be wearing the same clothing as the humans he had encountered when the streets were awash in blood and screaming prey. These humans brought large weapons and were very organized. One or two was hard enough to deal with, and at first there had been many of these humans. He also remembered being intrigued by the fact that all these humans had the same metal ornamentation around their necks. He assumed they were all from the same pack. A pack of fierce warriors that defended other prey as often as possible. Eventually they migrated away, some of their pack staying to stumble with the commons.

He slipped away quickly. The human wasn't an immediate threat, in fact, he looked tired. He trotted along silently; content that he could go home to Little One and let her know they were safe. Perhaps, if he hadn't been weak from his injuries, he would have noticed that he was being followed sooner. By the time he noticed the human male trailing him from a distance, he was walking through the door of his den. He froze momentarily, causing his humans mate to step outside and survey. He watched the human freeze before shooing him inside. The human rushed to gather weapons and left the den.

She could hear the two males speaking; she could smell her pack members' sweat. He was afraid. She was proud of herself when she could sort of understand what was being said. The human speech was becoming easier to grasp as the humans continued to use their language around her.

Her pack member said "You need to move on. There's nothing for you here"

The other male replied "Kid are you crazy or just plain stupid? Do you know what you just let in your damn house?"

Her male snorted and said "I am well aware of what's in my house. You need to leave. There is no room for you here."

"Well no shit, you're sheltering a damn zombie. You twisted fuck, what do you do? Let it sleep in your bed like it's a dog?"

Her male let out a low snarl before snapping "Get the hell out of here."

There was a long pause before the intruder said "Look kid, I didn't mean to offend. To be totally honest, I'm pretty creeped out by your choice of house guest. But I do need help. I have nothing to drink and I'm on the move. Do you have any water? I can trade you for food or other shit."

Her human said nothing and she let out a startled yowl when the door was thrust open. She backed away irritated and curled up around the cub protectively. Her mate stood in a defensive stance, growling unhappily. Their pack member had welcomed an intruder into their den and with the female human sick, she didn't approve of the situation.

"Jesus Christ. There's two of them in here? Is that a damn BABY?" the intruder demanded.

"Her name is Estelle. The hunters are Vincent and Hayley. I can give you twelve bottled waters, but we need medical supplies."

The intruder thought for a moment and asked "What kind of meds? I don't have any bandages to spare; all I have are a few bottles of ibuprofen and some antibiotics. Nothing really hardcore, if that's what you're looking for."

Their pack member was quiet for a moment before asking "Would ibuprofen help with a fever? A really high one?"

"Well I guess so. You got a fever kid? You look fine to me." The intruder questioned.

Their exchange was interrupted by a loud thump. The intruder immediately crouched and readied his weapon demanding "Is there someone or something up there?"

"Yeah. Estelle's mom is up there. She's sick. I need to go check on her."

He headed up the stairs and the stranger watched as her mate followed close behind. Not wanting to be alone with the intruder, she picked up the cub by its coverings and followed suit. She heard him follow her up the stairs.

Violet felt disgusting. She smelled bad, was sticky and sweaty, and really needed a drink of water. To her horror, when she tried to get out of bed, her legs refused to hold her and she crashed to the floor in a humiliated heap. Good lord what on earth was wrong with her? It looked to be midafternoon. Had she really slept the day away? Hadn't the sheets been blue when she went to bed? Why were they yellow now? What the hell?

Liam walked into the room and she beamed at him before she remembered how gross she felt. He crouched immediately trying to help her stand. She struggled to her feet and inhaled sharply when she realized there was a stranger in her room. He was wearing what appeared to be army fatigues, thought they were well worn. He was tall with short, dirty blond hair and was holding a nasty looking rifle that she was displeased to see pointed at Vincent.

"Welcome to my home. Now stop pointing your gun at Vincent or I will be forced to throw you out" She croaked

To her chagrin, the man just chuckled and said "Honey you look six different shades of shitty, I don't see you throwing a tennis ball for your zombie to play fetch with, let alone throwing me anywhere. You know how dangerous it is to be having zombies in your house with your baby. I don't know if you hadn't noticed but the zombies are trying to eat us."

Violet sat on the edge of the bed and glared at her unwelcome houseguest before asking him if her friends seemed like bloody thirsty monsters.

"Well sweetheart, you may have found the only two peaceful monsters in the world, 'because the one I'm after sure as hell isn't nice or polite. He's a smart bastard though. I been tracking him for a while. Your friends here aren't all that unique in the intelligence area. The dumb ones are all but wiped out. It's the smart ones we have to worry about. They're getting their act together, and when they reach their full potential, we won't make it out alive. That's why I'm hunting them down. I'm after a particularly nasty one. He takes pleasure in killing. I figure he must have been a real piece of work before the infection hit. Now he's nature's deadliest predator."

Violet considered what he said before she spoke. "I think the personality does carry over post infection. Hayley lived here in this very house. She was an athletic, happy teenage girl. Vincent here was a teacher at the local high school. They're both reminiscent of their pre infection selves. Vincent likes kids; he brought Estelle to me after he found her. He could have eaten her but he didn't. Hayley is still a happy bubbly person, jumpy and playful. I think what most people don't realize is that these are people. They're sick and horrifically mutated but they have that spark of humanity, somewhere."

She was interrupted by a coughing fit. Was she sick? She felt sick, but she didn't understand why. She asked Liam for some water, which he quickly got her. She watched as Liam and the man bargained a trade of supplies. She wanted to argue and tell Liam they had plenty of meds, that they should ask if he has any extra ammo but she was just too tired. Her head drooped and she heard the man ask Liam what was wrong with her.

She heard Liam say that she had been sick for two weeks. Why would he say that? They didn't even need the meds. She tried to lift her head, but found the task too monumentous. So she just sat there and was surprised when the man stopped at the door and said "By the way ma'am, my name is Colten. I may be headed through this area on my way back, and I sure hope we can meet up again. You take care of yourself" Then he was gone.

She didn't resist when Liam got her tucked into the bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Damn it was getting hot again.

He watched as his humans mate walked around the den with the stranger. The stranger was making his humans mate agitated but he couldn't see why. He was just pointing out weak points of the den that should be fortified, in case of intruders. His humans mate didn't seem to want the stranger to stay and he got him out the door as quickly as he could. Then his humans mate looked at him and grumbled irritably.

"You know why I like you? You aren't some judgemental know it all asshole. You know he was sitting there telling me how to secure the house like I'm some sort of idiot? Then he tried telling me how to take care of Violet. Why is it that everyone older than me seems to think just because I'm young I'm totally incapable of intelligent thought or reasoning? I made it all the way here by myself, no help from nobody.

I killed so many zombies, I've lost count. No offense meant of course, but I mean, they were trying to eat me. You seem like a nice enough guys, but I'm still pretty freaked out by you. Violet likes you a lot and she thinks you guys are trustworthy. I'm not saying you're not, but I mean, well… you're not really a person anymore are you? You're all deformed and shit, and don't operate on the same level as we do. You know they say that's because the infection drives you to spread it? That's why you don't really eat people do you? If you ate them this thing would have been over before it started because you guys would have eaten each other to death.

Nah, you're basically controlled by the disease. Green flu sounds so benign, but I guess they couldn't call it the Holy Shit Its Zombie Time Flu could they? I'm sorry this shit happened and I'm sorry you lost what you had. I'm sorry everyone had to go through this. It sucks. I'm glad you didn't eat Estelle, and I'm glad you're here. In fact, I'm glad you let me be here. It's good to be alive my friend."

**_Whelp guys, that was a long one huh? I snuck another borrowed character in here. Colten comes from How To Save A Life by lux et tenebra ninja. That story has an interesting premise, you should check it out. Hope you've been enjoying the ride, as this story is nearing its end =[ Cest la vie though. But I have it on good authority that the author (that's me!) is already cooking up a sequel. Yay! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, and if you can guess Estelle's first word, I will kill a character of your creation in the final chapter! So guess and review! _**

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	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Violet awoke, aware she wasn't alone. Instead of Vincent or Hayley staring at her like she expected, she saw Liam. She cracked a smile at the leaping feeling she felt in her chest at the mere sight of him. Deep, chocolate brown eyes bore into her own. He looked tired. And sad. She tried to ask why but found she could not. Her mouth was too dry and all she managed was a weak wheeze. Liam immediately held a bottle of water to her lips and she gulped gratefully. She pulled back after she had her fill and exhaled sharply.

He smiled weakly and asked how she felt. She considered for a moment before replying that she felt much better. She wasn't lying. She still felt rather gross and wanted for a shower more than she could explain, but she didn't feel tired or groggy. It wasn't so hot anymore, and she was starting to suspect that Liam had been truthful when he told the stranger that she had been ill. When she asked him this, he confirmed those suspicions. He had feared she was dying. Estelle was doing pretty good, babbling and rolling and even starting to stand up if she was able to pull herself up. She was doing very well indeed. The hunters were doing well too, Vincent almost back to his full strength and Hayley as she ever was; happy.

He smiled softly when she asked how he was. "Well" He said, "I'm tired of changing diapers, and I'm really glad you're not dead. I was afraid you were infected to be honest. I don't know if I could kill someone else I care about." He went quiet.

Violet was surprised. He didn't know she was immune? She lifted up her shirt to show him a stomach covered in scars. "What did you think these were? Stretch marks?"

He turned pink and muttered something about what was under her shirt not being his business and she smirked before informing him that she knew she was wearing a new outfit, a clean one.

He blushed even deeper and insisted he had changed her as quickly as possible and didn't look unless absolutely necessary.

Violet brought a pout to her lips and asked "Do you mean to say you aren't interested in what's under my shirt? Ouch, am I that repulsive?"

Violet didn't think there was a more distinct shade of red than the one gracing Liam's cheeks at that very moment. He couldn't even come up with a response except a tortured "Umm"

She laughed and asked to see everyone. Estelle was delighted to see her awake and responsive and babbled and gurgled happily as she tried to express herself. Violet was also amused to hear small snarls and growls come from the chubby infant. Apparently Hayley had stepped in while she was sick. As for the female hunter, she was bouncing around the room yipping and yowling, trying to get a rise out of Vincent, who seemed rather content to snuffle in Violet's direction before lying down, satisfied that all was well. Liam was smiling, but still looked rather tired. Violet scooted to the edge of the bed and tested out her legs. They held her this time, and she walked rather shakily to the bathroom.

She started to run a shower when Liam came in. he informed her that the hunters and Estelle were already bedded down in Hayley's room. He turned the shower off and started running a bath, insisting she should bathe rather than shower, so she didn't risk collapsing. She smiled and thanked him. Then she looked at him coyly and asked if he planned to stay and wash her. Instead of blushing like she expected, he shook his head and told her he was sure she could do it, and then walked out of the room.

As she soaked her rather grimy body she let her mind wander. He seemed fairly disinterested in her. Had she really pushed him so far? A strange feeling clenched her chest and she realized she was hurt. He found her so distasteful that he had only stayed to make sure she wasn't going to die. He was probably going to leave tomorrow. She had been such a fool. Nobody _loved _girls like her. They only lusted after her, wanted her as a trophy. They didn't like her, want to know her. She didn't deserve anything better. She had spent her adult life manipulating people, now an eighteen year old kid had broken the unbreakable. So stupid, stupid STUPID.

She washed her hair, and barely noticed the tears that fell as the water washed the grime from her scalp. She had Estelle. Estelle would always love her, she would always love Estelle. They would get through this mess together, get a nice two bedroom house, maybe some animals, she had always liked cats. Oh god, she was going to be the crazy old cat lady, with twenty cats and a musty old parlor where she kept framed pictures of cats. Oh god. Please not that. She would rather be eaten by Vincent.

She rose from the now cold water and stared at her wrinkled fingers. Yuck, she was all pruney. That wasn't very attractive. But who cares? Who was she supposed to be attractive for? She toweled off and slipped on the oversized sweatpants and tank top Liam had picked out for her. She looked in the mirror. Yikes. Her face was gaunt, pale. She really had been sick. She looked like her mother. Double yikes. That old bag was something else.

She rummaged around in the vanity drawers until she found what she was looking for. Yes! She knew that Hayley's mother would have some on hand; she had seen the pictures of that woman. She obviously kept herself up. Violet was just grateful she didn't go to a salon. She then proceeded to blow dry her hair. Then she cracked open the drawer once more and found the other half of her project.

He heard strange noises coming from the room with his human in it, and even stranger, very unpleasant smells. Smells that burned his nose and made him hiss unhappily. Humans were strange. But he was glad she was moving about. She had been ill for so long. Little One had taken care of the cub in her absence and he was proud of his mate for falling into the role so easily. The cub was a source of delight for all pack members. The cub was the future of the pack. He hoped to add more members soon. His human and her mate would have more cubs and Little One would give him cubs eventually. A strangely familiar word hit his consciousness like a ton of bricks. Daddy. Being a daddy was a good thing. His dreams were filled with a human telling him he would be a daddy. The human with dark eyes and hair. He loved her. Hadn't he? Could he love a human? That awful smell! The human with dark hair and eyes had smelled like that sometimes. He shook his head. Stupid smell.

She watched her mate with interest. He was behaving oddly, reacting to the biting smell in the air. The smell didn't bother her. It seemed almost familiar in a way. She was upset that it made her mate whine. He paced and whined like a cub. She wondered what the human was doing as she heard the loud noise for the second time. What on earth was that human doing in there? She had been in there a long time. Her mate looked curious too, but he didn't look worried so she wasn't either. She corralled her mate into their nest and tried to settle him down. He seemed very upset and she couldn't understand why. She sighed. Tonight would be long. He was sure to have the bad dreams again. He looked like he was already having them.

Violet surveyed herself in the mirror, satisfied with the way her now chestnut colored hair looked. She had cut and styled her hair into a stylish, medium length asymmetrical bob. She looked so ordinary, so plain Jane. She loved it. This is how a mother should look. Hell, find her a minivan and a kiddie soccer team and she was as all American as a slice of apple pie. Change was good. Change was exactly what she needed. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, nearly colliding with a curious Liam. She stepped back, trying to look calm and collected, and failing miserably.

"Hey Vi. I wasn't lurking, I swear. I was just worried. You were in there for a long time. You uh, you dyed your hair. Looks great, it's so short. Not that short is bad! It looks fantastic on you! You always look fantastic! Uh, I'm not controlling my volume. God I'm nervous. You make me nervous. Oh god I'm speaking out loud."

She couldn't help but smirk at his frantic rambling. He was polite to a fault. Even if he was disgusted by her, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. This caused the hurt to well up in her chest again. God she had really screwed this up. Now she would never know what would have been. She shook her head, trying to clear her head. No point crying over spilled milk. She smiled at him sadly, thanked him and told him she was headed to bed. She just had to get out of there before she burst into tears. She was tired of all these emotions. They were exhausting.

She was surprised to hear his heavy footsteps behind her. She didn't turn around, just crawled into bed, her heart in her throat. She could barely breathe as she felt the mattress bend under his weight and her heart started to pound loudly in her ears when she felt him slide next to her. Her breathing stopped when he wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She swallowed and commanded her brain to shut up so she could collect herself. All calm thoughts flew out the window when he kissed her neck. She yelped and turned over to face him, but fund herself speechless. Say something! Anything! "I like you a lot." Ah! Anything but that!

His face lit up with a smile and he propped his head up, leaning on his elbow. "I like you a lot too Vi. I was worried you would hate me. I shouldn't have left. I am so so sorry I put you in danger. You could have died. I acted like such a dick. Please forgive me."

"Liam, I am so sorry. I made you feel like shit. And I didn't mean to. I assumed you knew that I… care for you, deeply. I should have told you. We should have talked about it. I just kind of suck at communicating. I'm a loner. You're the one who almost died. For a minute, I was worried I wouldn't get you home in one piece. You looked like crap." She blurted out anxiously.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Well, we're okay now and we're communicating. Just so we're clear though… you and I are…?"

She laid her head back on the pillow and turned her head to smile at him. "Liam will you marry me?"

They laughed together before he answered her solemnly "Violet, I don't even know your last name, but I would love to make it Stonewall."

"Stonewall?" she asked.

He laughed again and said, "That's my last name. My favorite color is blue and my middle name is Harrison. My favorite food is lasagna and I'm allergic to cats."

She broke into giggles. She couldn't be the cat lady. "My last name is Barden, my favorite color is lilac, and my middle name is Evelyn. My favorite food is stir fry, or anything Chinese really and I'm not a big cat person anyway. I like you better in any case."

He kissed her then, just pulled her on top of him and kissed her so thoroughly he took her breath away. She propped herself up to examine his face and smiled at him. She knew she had waited her whole life to feel like this, and he returned the smile before covering her face in kisses and informing her "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I _love _brunettes."

_**Awuhhhh guys, wasn't that cute? Such a fluffy wuffy chapter full of fluffly wuffly snuggly wuggly moments. I had to have one before I ended the story. Yes dear readers, the story is coming to an end. This is the second to last chapter, so get in your guesses for Estelle's first word! If you are the first to guess correctly, I will PM you and tell you that you won the amazing dead character sweepstakes and you, yes YOU get to create a character for the author (me!) to kill off in the final chapter. Thank you to all you readers and reviewers and all the readers and non-reviewers, I love you all equally. I'm humbled anyone reads my words at all. So thank you guys :) Seriously.**_

_**PS I listened to the song A Thousand Years by Christina Perri on repeat like A ZILLION times to write this chapter. So if you want to listen to it while reading it, I wouldn't object. It flows pretty well :)**_


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

A week came and went without incident. Then, an incident to trump all previous incidents occurred causing Violet to grumble under her breath. Hayley was missing. She had gone out six hours ago and hadn't come back. Ordinarily Violet wouldn't think twice but Vincent wouldn't stop yowling and fussing. He was pacing the floors, carrying Estelle by her shirt the whole time. Estelle squealed in delight, basking in the sudden attention but he was driving Violet up the wall. Liam didn't seem too concerned, until it started to get dark. Then he started to pace. "ENOUGH" She snapped. "I will go look for her! But for the sake of all that is holy knock it off!" She was met with three sets of wide eyes. She shook her head and loaded a clip into her gun. She looked to the heavens pleading for patience.

She stalked Hayley like an apex predator. The slightest sign that the small hunter had been there was all she needed. She followed the tracks to the supermart they got their supplies at. She couldn't have possibly been prepared for what awaited her inside. The smell hit her first. An ungodly putrid odor that made Violet want to wretch. The smell of Boomer and smoker and witch all combined to the nth degree. As her eyes adjusted, she realized why. The entire store was almost cleared of supplies, and the missing items had been replaced by a much more macabre stock.

The rotting corpses of nearly one hundred special infected. An unidentifiable liquid seeped towards the door, brownish green looking sludge contrasting with the white speckled lamanent. A giant pond of filth. Violet shook her head, trying to clear the disgust from her mind as she trudged forward, trying not to think about what she was stepping in.

As she carefully made her way through the piles of bodies a new degree of horror settled on her features. Someone or something had absolutely mutilated these infected. There was a smoker that had all of its tongues cut out, and the large tumors had obviously been sliced off of its face, some had even been dug out, leaving craters in its face. A jockey clearly had its spine broken in a cruel attempt at straightening its hunched spine. But what truly horrified her was stumbling across the body of a young with. Witches were hard to determine age in, but this one was small. Bone thin like the rest, this one was very petite in stature. All her claws had been cut off. Her eyes, that had probably been red, were gouged right out of her head. Her throat had been slit. Violet almost puked again when she took note the poor thing was totally nude.

Death. Death everywhere. She didn't want to die. She was dying. He would kill her when he found out. She could hear the noise. Was he back? No no no no no. She let out a small almost inaudible whimper as his smell filled the room. She tried to hold perfectly still but fear had her shaking.

Violet nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone speak behind her. "Well hello there. Can I help you?" She whipped around to see a man in his mid thirties smiling at her. He wasnt very impressive in stature but he somehow held himself in such a way that he made her skin crawl. He had brown eyes and brown hair. He had a very splotchy face and a sharply hooked nose. She said she was looking for supplies, just passing through. Then she asked what happened here.

She was chilled to the bone when the strange little man let out a giggle. "Oh the experiments? I try to catch them alive. Try to cure their ills. I take away what makes them dangerous and try to tame them. Train them. But it doesnt work. No it doesnt. They keep dying. I fear they cannot be fixed. No. so we must kill them all. But fear not. Salvation is at hand. We are here. Well I am here. The rest of us will be here soon. We are cleansing them. My team will be here soon. They sent me ahead to scout the area. I started the cleanse without them. My research grew tiresome."

Violet narrowed her eyes at the clearly deranged little man in front of her. There is nothing more dangerous than a well educated psychopath with megalomania. Her narcissism hadnt reached that level but she had met people who had. The man in front of her was clearly deluded and heavily armed. She wanted nothing to do with him. She just wanted Hayley.

She surprised herself by concocting a story of a female smoker two blocks over. An eerie light seemed to come to his eyes as he excitedly informed her that he had never come across a female specimen of that particular mutation. She felt her blood run cold as he informed her that it had been discovered that the female anatomy didnt change drastically from the mutation. She recoiled and felt bile rise in her throat when he made a joke about Witches being just as good as a real woman. He didnt notice her revulsion though, too excited by her fabricated sighting. He excused himself quickly.

She waited two minutes after she was sure he was gone before she softly called Hayleys name. The terrified hunter crawled from her hiding spot amongst the infected corpses and whined her relief. Violet headed swiftly to the door. As she exited the store she saw stars as the butt of a rifle connected with the side of her head. She fell to the floor. She looked up and saw the horrific grin of a monster worse than any infected she had seen. She heard Hayley yelp in surprise before letting out an ear splitting screetch.

Dazed, Violet tried to find her pistol but her hands wouldnt cooperate. "You sneaky little bitch! I thought something was off about you! Look at you, parading around with a monster. Did you think you could cure her? There is no cure! You dumb slut! I am the cure. I cleanse the pestilence from the world! I destroy this scourge on humanity. I kill them all. And im going to kill you. Your body isnt infected but your mind is! I will wipe out the impurities!"

Violet stared at him, this insane ugly man. He looked benign at best. Before he had (clearly) lost his mind, he probably was. Brown eyes lit up with an eerie glow, thinning brown hair that had started to gray around the temples. His name was probably Bill Jones. Or John. John Smith. So unassuming, so boring and ordinary. Unfortunately for her, John had gone batshit insane and was going to kill her. Violet realized these were stupid and less than profound thoughts to be having right before dying but the blow to tbe head had her unable to focus. She let out a hysterical giggle when she realized he was STILL ranting about the great purification and she wasnt paying attention. She smirked and muttered about him not deserving her attention anyway. He was a dick. She felt like a petulant teenager. She giggled again.

This caused his rage to boil over. He leveled the gun to her temple and told her to enjoy hell. Her eyes met his and she smiled up at him before informing him he would have the pleasure before she did.

The shot rang out and a cold smirk could be seen in the brief flash of light the gun omitted. Violet didn't flinch when fragments of his skull and brain matter hit her face. Instead, she looked at the man lowering his hunting rifle and whispered "I love you Liam" He just nodded grimly. Killing an uninfected person wasn't something he was happy about, but he wasn't going to lose sleep over it. He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. He clung to her and squeezed her until she pleaded for air. They left the den of horrors hand in hand.

When they got home Violet peered into the distance and saw a line of black SUVs headed into town. She and Liam got inside and immediately started packing. It was time to go. It wouldn't be safe here for her hunters. She picked up Estelle and told her they had to go but they would stay together. They would stick together. Solemn blue eyes looked up at her and a small clear little voice rang out. "Fam-lee".


	28. Thank You

My most sincere apologies to everyone for taking such a long ass time to update and finish this up. I want to thank you all for sticking with me and reading my words. It means a lot. A special thanks to 123 for creating my most evil villain of doom (doom doom doom) John, who sets the scene for the sequel. You guys are great and keep an eye out for Violet and Co. in the future! They have a lot of adventures left.

Love,

Jack


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